Mother’s Day stray dog attack in Scott County raises questions about local animal control

On Mother’s Day morning, Sandy Ruff noticed a stray dog near her home. Believing it to have been abandoned in the area by its owner, Ruff took a photo of the dog and posted it to Facebook, looking for its owner or someone to take it in.

According to Ruff, who lives outside of Benton near Thomas W. Kelly High School, the dog was a fully-grown female pitbull with "really bad" mange and appeared to have recently given birth to a litter of puppies. She contacted Marilyn Neville, the former director of the Bollinger County Stray Project, and was asked to take some photos of the dog and a stray rescue out of St. Louis may be able to pick the dog up.

After going outside to take more photos, Ruff said she had called out to her husband who was in their garage feeding chickens. After her husband came out of the garage to see what she wanted, Ruff said she was attacked by the dog.

A photo Sandy Ruff took of the dog before it attacked her at her house Sunday, May 12, near Benton.Submitted

“The dog looked over at my husband, looked at me and just full-blast charged at me,” Ruff said. “It knocked me down and started biting me on both legs, I think five or six times.”

Not knowing whether the dog was rabid or would try to attack someone else, Ruff’s husband shot and killed it. After contacting the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, which came to Ruff’s house to file a report and take photos, Ruff said she was told someone would come pick the dog up Monday morning, May 13, to take it for tests. Upon calling the office in the morning, she was then told it was up to her and her husband to take the dog to the vet to be tested for rabies. Two days and $100 later, the results came back negative.

“They said that (being attacked by) a stray dog is similar to getting hit by an unlicensed or uninsured driver,” Ruff said. “It’s on you.”

Attempts to contact the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for comment were unsuccessful.

Despite having several puncture wounds on her legs, Ruff attended Mother’s Day dinner with her family and opted to get medical attention afterward. She went to be seen at AFC Urgent Care in Cape Girardeau but was told to go to the hospital because of the extent of her wounds.

“On to the hospital I go to (Mercy Hospital) Southeast,” Ruff said. “They really didn’t do anything other than irrigate the wounds out and clean it, and suggest that I get the rabies vaccine. … If it had been positive, I was willing to take the shot. It’s five shots you have to take within so many days, but they also told me that I’d have to have injections in each wound, which I’ve probably got 30 punctures. Those are very painful, so I’m like, ‘I’m not wanting to take those.’”

Although Ruff’s health insurance will help pay for her medical treatments, she expressed surprise that her homeowners insurance didn’t cover them.

“People need to check their homeowners (insurance policy) because they said it would cover a stranger but not a family member,” Ruff said.

According to an employee at Benton City Hall, there is not enough staff for the city to have an animal control department. Instead, Benton has a plan in place with another city to help with animal control, which the employee declined to identify but is only used to assist with violent animals within city limits.

Despite having no animal control department, the city hall employee still recommended residents call if they spot a stray animal, and it will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

“Call here and we will just try to deal with it,” she said. “A lot of times, we’ll find the owner because we can put it on Facebook or whatever.”

Ruff said she hopes her story will help bring awareness to the lack of resources in the area for stray animals.

“Stray dogs in the county need a solution,” she said.

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There are several recommended steps to take when encountering a potentially aggressive stray animal, particularly a stray dog, to avoid injury:

• Remain as calm as possible to avoid being seen as a threat;
• Don’t run away from the dog, avoid eye contact and back away slowly without turning your back;
• Create a barrier between yourself and the dog, if possible, by holding nearby accessible items between you and the dog while trying to avoid making sudden movements;
• Use verbal commands such as “no” or “go home” in a clear, confident tone while avoiding yelling or screaming;
• Protect yourself by putting any accessible object, such as a coat or a backpack, between you and the dog if it attacks. Prioritize shielding your face and vital organs.