Two dogs died and two people were injured in a vicious off-leash pit bull attack during an evening walk in Sarasota County, Florida. One attacking dog was shot by deputies and later euthanized.
Attack Sequence
On January 22, 2026, around 7 p.m. in the Gulf Gate neighborhood near Bispham Road and Lockwood Terrace, Andrew Nibley walked his leashed English Setter Diana and Cairn Terrier Chauncey when two unleashed pit bulls emerged from shadows and targeted Diana, dragging her across the street and leaving a trail of blood. Chauncey intervened but suffered a severe back bite; Diana succumbed to injuries, marking a tragic end to their routine stroll.
Response and Injuries
Nibley and neighbors tried intervening, leaving Nibley with hand and thigh bites. The pit bulls’ handler—the owner’s roommate—sustained puncture wounds to hand, back, and legs requiring a tourniquet and hospitalization. A Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy fired once, hitting one pit bull in the shoulder to stop the threat.
Aftermath
Animal Services will decide the surviving pit bull’s fate, with procedures to prevent recurrence. No charges filed yet against the owner. Nibley, an animal advocate who produced a puppy mill documentary, seeks community safeguards.
