OAK CREEK — When Tiffinie Jansky lost her identical twin brother to suicide, her dog Magnus was critical in helping her cope with PTSD and other mental health challenges.
"Magnus is my service dog. He is there to protect me. He has been there through all my treatments," she told TMJ4 Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins, who visited her home after Tiffinie emailed TMJ4 News about a vicious and deadly dog attack.
Last Tuesday, during what Tiffinie described as a routine morning walk, she said two pit bulls from a neighboring home attacked her, Magnus, and her other dog, Pepper.
"The dog latched onto mine, and there was nothing we could do. I was screaming so loud," she said.
People in the area tried to help, but the attack was too vicious.
"I mean, my baby’s dying on the street, and I don't know how to get this dog off," she said.
Later that day, Magnus died at a pet hospital. Tiffinie said when she confronted the owners, two people who live at the home admitted that one of the dogs had killed a different pet before.
Now, less than a week after Magnus was killed, Tiffinie is calling for more accountability.
"If there's no correction, there’s no change," she said.
Watch: Oak Creek woman calls for accountability after dog attack kills service animal
Tiffinie said the Oak Creek Health Department informed her that only one of the dogs involved in the attack was euthanized. The other dog was ordered to be quarantined at home for 10 days, a process normally done at MADDAC, but their facilities are full.
"A quarantine is only making sure the dog doesn't have rabies," Jansky said. "That’s not going to change their behavior. It's not going to change any outcome for anything that happens further."
Her concern is that after those 10 days are up, this dog could continue to terrorize others in the neighborhood. She notes that Shepard Hills Elementary School is just steps away from the area where this dog had previously gotten loose.
"Put them through mandatory training, at the owner's cost, something as basic as that to give them accountability," Tiffinie suggested when asked what types of solutions she'd like to see.
A dog mom’s plea for accountability as she works to provide a safe home for her surviving pets.
TMJ4 News has reached out to both the Oak Creek Police Department and the Health Department to learn more, and we are waiting to hear back.
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