Man who died after dog attack praised for saving woman and girl
He saved a young girl and a woman from a frenzied dog attack, but could not save himself.
Colin Amatto is being remembered as a hero after he passed away on Friday night a month after the western Sydney man was savaged by two dogs he knew well.
His family does not blame the animals’ owners.
“He saved two people. If he hadn’t have stepped in when he did, who knows what would have happened? So, yeah, for that he’s a hero,” his brother-in-law Brendan Fox said.
The attack happened inside Mr Amatto’s home in Tregear in January.
He’d lived there with the dogs for two years.
Dogs Boof and Hope belonged to his housemate and friend of 30 years, Dave Murray.
“He knew the dogs for a long time,” Mr Murray’s wife, Laura Murray, said.
“We don’t know, really know what happened to be honest.”
Police also don’t know why the dogs attacked with Mr Amatto bitten 70 times.
The American Staffordshire Terriers were tranquillised by council rangers and carried out covered in blood.
They were put down the next day.
Mr Amatto’s family doesn’t blame their owner.
“There’s no malice towards him. It was just a horrible accident. Dogs obviously do this from time to time,” Mr Fox said.
Leah Casperson, the woman who Mr Amatto saved, may be able to give his family answers but she’s refused to talk to police.
“I’d like her to at least do the right thing and talk to the people she’s supposed to be talking to,” Ms Murray said.
Just as Mr Amatto’s family was planning his funeral on Saturday, paramedics were called to another dog attack in Chester Hill.
An 82-year-old woman was walking her dog when she was attacked by two larger dogs on the loose.
Neighbours used sticks to beat the two staffordshire terriers away.
“She was assisted by some bystanders on scene and fortunately someone was able to convey her dog to the vet where it was undergoing treatment,” Acting Inspector James Grey said.
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