Authorities: Johnston County dogs bit another person before mauling man on Monday
Authorities in Johnston County Tuesday said the two dogs that killed a man Monday had bitten another person earlier that day.
Deputies said a Powhatan community couple hired a veterinary hospital employee to take care of their bull terrier and cane corso while they were out of town. When that employee visited the Eddlestone Court home, one of the dogs bit them in the leg.
The couple then called the woman's father, Anthony Gerard Bastardi, to check on them, and he was fatally mauled.
There is no word on the severity of the employee's injuries.
A Wilson's Mills police officer was first on the scene to discover Bastardi's body. The officer said in his report that the dogs were covered in blood and that one animal's eyes looked evil.
"Its eyes looked evil. It is hard to describe in words the look in the dog's eyes. I have never seen anything like it before," the officer wrote.
That officer shot both dogs, the first when it approached him from the driveway and the second when it refused to yield so he and other first responders could help Bastardi.
Deescalation can be difficult in the moment
Juan Galvis, owner of the Pet Wagon in Durham and a dog expert, said if a dog is coming toward you, deescalation is a very hard thing to do.
"Deescalating from a situation of a dog actively biting a person, it’s a very hard thing for the average individual," Galvis said.
Galvis said when a dog gets a hold of you, it is very difficult to pull them off by force, and throwing water or hitting the dog could agitate them more.
Galvis explained the best thing to do if a dog is latched on to you is to try and restrict its breathing with a belt or leash, but many people are not strong enough, or are able to, in the heat of the moment.
"The deescalation technique is not the solution," Galvis said. "The prevention is the solution."
According to Galvis, anyone considering a larger breed needs to take steps to make sure they're ready, before a potential crisis in their home.
"Being realistic, becoming informed [and] reaching out to professionals before making decisions is a great way to avoid these issues," Galvis explained.
WRAL News has reached out to Bastardi's family for a response to the incident, but they've declined to speak on the matter.
