Child Ripped Up by Pack of Pit Bulls in Baton Rouge

Pit Bull Owner Talks to God
Baton Rouge, LA - Caltanique Domino, 10, ran for her life after a pack of pit bulls tore down Fairfields Avenue chasing her and a group of her friends. The four dogs caught up with Caltanique, jumped on her, knocking her to the ground where they began tearing at her flesh. Simone Domino, Caltanique’s mother, said, "They would have killed her if the Cox man had not come along." The child is still hospitalized at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.

Maurice Campbell of Cox Communications had just finished working on a routine power supply check nearby when he drove past a group of screaming children running down the road. Joey Bertin, Campbell’s supervisor at Cox Communications, said, "He saw that a pack of dogs had caught one of the little girls and had her pinned down." Campbell turned his truck around and drove toward the attack. He jumped out of his truck and grabbed a cable caddy.

As Maurice was running toward the girl, a woman, who had been sitting in a van honking her horn at the dogs, also jumped out and ran toward the child. Bertin said, "She had a cane or an umbrella or something like that. They both started beating the dogs off of the little girl." The dogs finally left and Campbell called 911. Neither Campbell nor the woman were bitten by the dogs. Campbell stayed with the child until an ambulance and police arrived at the scene.

Caltanique's mother said she is "messed up real bad." Caltanique was bitten at least six or seven times on her head, six or seven times on her thighs and shoulders, backs of her legs, chest, lips, ear and eyelid. "They tore off half of her ear, ripped her eyelid and split open her lips,” Domino said. "She has stitches and staples to close the wounds." Caltanique also had so many bites on her head that doctors had to shave off her hair to treat the wounds.

East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control officers picked up the dogs shortly after the attack. The four male dogs were taken to the Animal Control Center, where they will be held in quarantine for 10 days then promptly euthanized. The owner of the pit bulls, Pamela Lucketta, was issued citations for failing to vaccinate the dogs against rabies, failure to license the dogs, failure to restrain a vicious animal by leash or chain, and permitting an animal to be at large.

In the most ethereal, reprehensible comment DogsBite.org may have ever heard from a pit bull owner to date, Lucketta told reporters:

"I was talking to my father in heaven. It was out of my control. I’m not happy about what happened, but I can’t change it. I’m more hurt about it than anybody can be. All I want is for the little girl to be all right."

Cox communication is very proud of Maurice Campbell, as is Caltanique's mother and family and all of the readers of DogsBite.org.

Related articles:
09/11/08: Boy Scout Stabs, Kills Pit Bulls Attacking Friend's Dog
08/07/08: Flashback: Man Receives Carnegie Medal for Stopping Pit Bull Attack
08/02/08: Hero Stories: Honoring Those Who Have Stopped a Deadly Pit Bull Attack