Linda Swinburn promised to protect her emotional support dog Bella the day she adopted her four years ago.
When three pit bulls attacked and killed Bella last month, Swinburn held on to her as long as she could, she said.
Nathaniel Thomas Pettiford, 42, of Gainesville, the owner of three pit bulls, was arrested on a warrant Thursday evening, GPD spokesperson Ofc. Ben Tobias wrote in an email.
Swinburn, who was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, told the Alligator she is happy Pettiford is behind bars, but she misses her dog every day.
“She saved me,” Swinburn said. “She saved my life, and she gave me a second chance to live.”
The pit bulls escaped from Pettiford’s home on the 5800 block of Northwest 29th Terrace around 7 p.m. Sept. 22, according to an arrest report.
Linda Swinburn, 50, was walking Bella on a leash when the pit bulls ran across the street and attacked her dog, she told The Alligator.
She put her body over Bella to protect her, but it was no use, she said. The pit bulls broke Bella’s neck and ripped her apart, Swinburn said. She suffered two broken fingers, bruised ribs and post-traumatic stress from the attack.
It is unclear how the dogs escaped, but police think they jumped the 4-foot fence surrounding the backyard, police said.
The attack marked the fourth time in 14 months Pettiford’s dogs escaped to attack another dog or person, the report said.
A pit bull jumped through a screen door at Pettiford’s home and attacked a small dog and two women July 6, 2017, the report said. Nobody answered the door when Animal Control Services arrived at Pettiford’s home.
Pettiford paid a fine after a pit bull escaped from his home and menaced a neighbor walking down the street April 6. Two months later, a pit bull escaped from the yard and chased a woman back onto her own porch, the report said.
Pettiford is charged with one count of inflicting injury and one count of animal cruelty, according to online court records. He is held in Alachua County Jail.
Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosa
Linda Swinburn's dog, Bella, who was killed in an attack.
