Retired Lt. Colonel Jim Kerchmar suffered bite marks all over his body. Although he is now home and recovering, he told ABC11 the attack was one of the most horrifying experiences in his life.
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Sunday was a normal day for Kerchmar. He was walking around his yard in the Haymount neighborhood when two dogs, Jazzy and Nora, came running up to him.
At first, the dogs appeared friendly. Then, the dogs' behavior shifted.
The two started growling and Jazzy, a Labrador-Beagle mix, began to attack. Jazzy pinned Kerchmar to the ground and he struggled to escape.
Armed only with a coffee cup, Kerchmar was able to break free. He noticed a trail of blood leading to his front door so he called for help.
"I very much thought I was going to die," Kerchmar recalled. "I was bleeding profusely, as a matter of fact, I screamed at my wife 'Get a gun!'"
Moments later, Kerchmar and his wife, Beth, rushed to their car to drive to the hospital. But the dogs came back and tried to attack again.
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"Fortunately this time I had a long stick and I was able to defend myself by beating the dogs back," Kerchmar shared. "And at this very moment, the police came down the street as I was heading to my front door, swinging for life...for dear life"
The dogs are now at Cumberland County Animal Services. Officials say Jazzy and Nora are current on their rabies shots.
Animal services told ABC11 this isn't the first time the dogs have been seized for an alleged attack. The dogs were released back to their owner, Brooks Buford, because he complied with an ordinance requiring a permit, insurance, signage, and an enclosure for "dangerous" dogs.
Still, Jazzy and Nora managed to escape while visiting family in the Haymount neighborhood.
Jazzy will be euthanized as this incident marks her second attack. The animal shelter is working to find Nora, the Pitbull-Mastiff mix, another home.
"Nora is a sweet dog," Buford insisted. "She got caught up in the mix. She got out and chased her buddy."
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