Palatka, FL – Deputies in Putnam County are asking residents for help locating a dog that attacked a woman Wednesday night, sending her to the hospital with serious injuries.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the attack happened in the area of Beech Street and Hicks Street in Palatka. The dog, described as a brown-and-white pit bull mix, allegedly charged the woman as she was walking. A man nearby heard her screams, grabbed a sledgehammer, and struck the dog to make it release her.
Deputies said the Good Samaritan also used a T-shirt as a tourniquet to slow heavy bleeding from the woman’s arm before driving her to the hospital. When law enforcement arrived, they documented multiple puncture wounds to her right leg and severe injuries to her elbow that nearly severed her arm. She was later flown to a trauma center due to the extent of her injuries. Her current condition is not known.
Animal Control reported spotting a dog matching the description near Date Street and East Lake Street, but it avoided capture. Officials stressed the urgency of locating the animal, which may have an injury to its head.
Residents living in the Beech Street area from Hicks to East Lake Street are urged to remain alert. Anyone who sees the dog or knows its owner is asked to contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 386-329-0800.
