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CHICAGO (CBS) – The 62-year-old jogger who was attacked by pit bulls in Rainbow Beach Park two weeks ago said Tuesday that he remembers everything that happened that morning, when he kept telling himself to survive.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports, Joseph Finley spoke out for the first time about the attack, which left him severely injured and cost him his foot.
After the two pit bulls started attacking, Finley tried to stay on his feet.
“I knew at that point that if I fell down, at any point, it was going to be disastrous, but as fate would have it, they were able to get me to the ground,” Finley said.
Finley said he kept repeating the same thing over and over to himself.
“Survive. Survive. Joseph, you have to survive,” Finley said. “They had a method to their madness. They knew what they were doing and they did it well and their main objective was to make sure that I was their dinner.”
“These were not just regular dogs, Finley added. “They had a mission.”
Finley said he heard police say their only option was to shoot the dogs when officers arrived at the scene.
“I heard four, five shots. The first two shots, I felt the tug on this leg stop. The next two shots, I felt the tugging on this arm stop and at that point, I felt myself fading,” Finley said.
After police shot and killed the pit bulls, Finley was rushed to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
“They did a tremendous job. They really did, but the end result is, I lost my foot. They bit it off,” Finley said.
Doctors said the plan going forward is for Finley to go to an inpatient rehabilitation center and they said they are optimistic about his chances of doing whatever he wants to do.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports, Joseph Finley spoke out for the first time about the attack, which left him severely injured and cost him his foot.
After the two pit bulls started attacking, Finley tried to stay on his feet.
“I knew at that point that if I fell down, at any point, it was going to be disastrous, but as fate would have it, they were able to get me to the ground,” Finley said.
Finley said he kept repeating the same thing over and over to himself.
“Survive. Survive. Joseph, you have to survive,” Finley said. “They had a method to their madness. They knew what they were doing and they did it well and their main objective was to make sure that I was their dinner.”
“These were not just regular dogs, Finley added. “They had a mission.”
Finley said he heard police say their only option was to shoot the dogs when officers arrived at the scene.
“I heard four, five shots. The first two shots, I felt the tug on this leg stop. The next two shots, I felt the tugging on this arm stop and at that point, I felt myself fading,” Finley said.
After police shot and killed the pit bulls, Finley was rushed to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
“They did a tremendous job. They really did, but the end result is, I lost my foot. They bit it off,” Finley said.
Doctors said the plan going forward is for Finley to go to an inpatient rehabilitation center and they said they are optimistic about his chances of doing whatever he wants to do.
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