ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A terrifying neighborhood ordeal has left a young mother recovering from severe bite wounds and a community questioning why a dog with a documented history of aggression remained in their midst.
On October 9, Katie Blacketor and her husband, Brian Thompson, were walking with their four-month-old daughter in the Encore at Ovation neighborhood near Winter Garden when they were charged by a dog named Kobe. According to the couple, the dog, described as a pit bull, bolted down an alleyway toward them.
Thompson said the dog circled the family before biting his thigh and latching onto Blacketor’s leg, dragging her to the ground. In a harrowing split-second decision, Blacketor realized that her grip on their daughter’s stroller could pull the infant into the fray.
“I went down without the stroller,” Blacketor said, explaining that she intentionally released her hands to keep the baby safe. “At least, you know, if he’s attached to me, then I know that she’s safe.”
Blacketor suffered deep puncture wounds and required nine stitches, leaving her on crutches and unable to easily care for her daughter. Both parents were bitten, though the infant was physically unharmed. Ring doorbell audio captured the family’s screams during the attack.
The incident has since shed light on a pattern of concerning behavior involving the same animal. Records from Orange County Animal Services confirm a trail of complaints, including a June 7 incident where the dog allegedly attacked a leashed pet, and a June 25 report of the dog lunging at another animal while off-leash. Despite an official warning issued to the owner in July, the animal was not removed from the home until after the attack on the Blacketor-Thompson family.
“It feels like the system as a whole has failed,” Thompson said.
Animal Services officials stated that prior incidents did not meet the “statutory threshold” to trigger a formal dangerous dog investigation, partly due to a lack of written witness statements. Following the October 9 attack, the agency has confiscated the dog and issued $640 in citations to the owner for failing to control the animal.
Despite the violence of the attack, the family remains anxious about the future. Under Florida law, owners can often reclaim dogs deemed “dangerous” if they meet specific safety requirements, and the county is not legally obligated to notify previous victims if the animal is returned to the neighborhood.
As Halloween approaches, Thompson expressed grave concerns for other families in the area. “If I were a parent of teenagers, I don’t know that I would have them walking around in the neighborhood doing trick or treating,” he said.
While neighbors have rallied to support the family during their recovery, Blacketor lamented that the bond was forged through tragedy. “This isn’t what you want the neighborhood to come together over,” she said.
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