The Tampa Tribune, Tampa, FL, 02/01/03

Teresa Castellano and her 6-year-old daughter, Alysa, were visiting Alysa's friend, Kaitlyn, at her home when terror erupted inside. The girls were watching TV and began laughing loudly at something they had seen. The abrupt laughter apparently startled the dogs in the house, which began growling and barking. Sensing the two rottweilers and pit bull were not playing around, Castellano tried to get the girls to be quiet, but the dogs attacked them, biting Kaitlyn and Alysa. Castellano was able to distract the dogs, which allowed the girls time to run to safety at a neighbor's house, but by then Castellano herself was being attacked. Two neighbors armed with handguns fired on the dogs to get them to release the woman. One of the armed men was bitten in the leg during the struggle. One dog was killed, and the other two retreated back into the house. Authorities found one dog wounded and the other lying on the floor inside. They were taken to a local animal shelter and later euthanized. Castellano and her daughter each required 100 stitches to close their wounds, and Kaitlyn needed 20 stitches.