Pit Bull Mauls Husband And Wife At Mahwah Park

MAHWAH, NJ — A man and his wife were mauled by a female pit bull at a township park Wednesday morning, police said.

Police got a 911 call at 9 a.m. from someone reporting loud screams coming from Winter's Park on East Ramapo Avenue, said Chief James Batelli said.

A man and his wife took their two dogs, including the pit bull they were fostering, to the park.

The pit bull bit the woman's hand. When her husband tried to grab the dog it bit him. He tried to defend himself and calm the dog down, but suffered "extensive and severe" biting and crushing injuries on his hands and arms from the dog, Batelli said.

The man, 58, tied the dog to a table, but not before it bit his wife in the ear, Batelli said.

When police got there, they found the man severely injured along a gravel path.

Members of the Mahwah EMS squad took the couple to Hackensack Hospital for treatment. TYCO Animal control went to the scene, took custody of the pit bull, and placed it under quarantine. The other dog, which is a service dog, was turned over to relatives.

Police said they believe the wife will be released, but the husband's injuries were "significant" and will likely be admitted to the hospital.

The dog had its rabies vaccinations, Batelli said.

Mahwah Police Officer Darren Storms, the department's municipal humane law enforcement officer, TYCO Animal Control, and the Mahwah Board of Health are investigating what happened.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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