NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- Lawmakers are working on legislation to regulate animal training centers after a pit bull mauled a 90-year-old woman to death.
The incident in May involved Blue, a dog that Margaret Colvin's family adopted from Forever Home Rehabilitation Center (FHRC). Following Colvin's death, her family, including her daughter, Llinda Patterson, filed a lawsuit against FRHC for $5 million.
“She saw her mother disemboweled, virtually, and, then, her mother’s arm had to be amputated, and her mother died,” said Irv Blank, the family’s attorney. “The room was just covered in blood, so she’s just not doing well.”
13News Now talked to former employees FHRC employees after the deadly attack, looked at legal documents, and traced Blue’s path from New York to Virginia. We found there are no laws that regulate animal training centers that claim to rehabilitate aggressive dogs. The lack of regulation means there is nothing in place to protect people from adopting a potentially dangerous dog.
13NewsNow took its findings to State Senator Bill DeSteph who said he is in the process of drafting legislation to make sure something similar to the situation involving Blue doesn't happen again.
“In this instance, clearly we have a loophole or we have an issue that’s not being addressed properly," DeSteph said.
Join 13News Now at 11 p.m. on Thursday, November 9 as we look at the possible issues and the push to oversee animal training centers that work with aggressive and potentially dangerous dogs.
