Shenanigans Saloon, at 3133 Gaul St. in Port Richmond, is rallying neighbors to help an elderly neighbor and her dog after a pit bull attack Oct. 11.
The bar and Port Richmond locals are working to raise money for Ethel Hubert, 73, and her dog, 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Ivy, who lost a leg after the pit bull attack.
From a donation jug at Shenanigans, employee Chelsea Coffin said that as of Friday, the bar has already collected several hundred dollars that will go toward Hubert’s veterinary costs, which are upward of $1,600.
The bar also will host a beef-and-beer fundraiser this Saturday, Nov. 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. Cost is $25.
On Oct. 11, Hubert was walking Ivy around 1 p.m. near Gaul and Clementine streets when a stray pit bull attacked the smaller dog.
Coffin said she and other neighbors ran outside to assist Hubert and Ivy, and tried to fend the pit bull off with brooms and bats.
Coffin said she called the police, who took control of the aggressive dog after it attacked Ivy for almost five minutes.
The police brought the dog to the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT), where it remained for several days without being claimed.
A spokeswoman from ACCT confirmed that because of information from police as well as the dog’s temperament while in custody, a decision was made to euthanize the animal.
Ivy was left severely injured in the attack, and one of the dog’s legs was amputated early last week, Hubert said over the phone Friday.
Ivy has been in the care of Dr. Rude’s Animal Hospital on Frankford Avenue. The animal hospital has also contributed to fundraising efforts.
Hubert is just glad her dog is doing OK, she said, and is thankful to her neighbors in Port Richmond.
“It was really great,” she said of her neighbors’ assistance during the attack. “She [Coffin] is a wonderful girl.”
Asked why she’s worked to arrange fundraising efforts for Hubert, Coffin said she simply wants to help out a neighbor.
“I feel bad. I’m an animal lover, and I’ve seen her dog almost get killed in front of me,” she said.
To report a stray animal, or for assistance with dogs at large in your neighborhood, call the Animal Care and Control Team at 267–385–3800. During an animal attack, call 911.
Star Managing Editor Mikala Jamison can be reached at 215–354–3113 or at mjamison@bsmphilly.com.
