JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
A Sunday afternoon visit to see their mom, quickly turned into a nightmare for sisters Bianca Cage and Yolanda Handford.
The say a pit bull attacked them in the stairwell of Extended Stay Deluxe on Beasley Road in Jackson.
"He immediately just started jumping on me and he grabbed a hold of my arm," recalls Cage.
Handford turned to run when she saw the attack. The Jackson woman says the dog quickly caught up to her, biting her arm.
"After he attacked me, she heard me screaming... "Oh my God, he's biting me! He's biting me!" And she came back down for me," remembers Handford.
Soon afterward, Cage found herself being attacked once again.
"As I turned to go get her the dog came back around and when I tried to turn around and run he grabbed a hold of my ankle, and he started pulling my ankle and I fell and I was just kicking him off and kicking him off," said Cage in a Monday morning interview with WLBT.
The sisters say the owner wasn't able to catch the dog inside the hotel. A maintenance was able to hit the dog before it ran into the parking lot.
Police and animal control were called to the hotel. Officers did confirm they are investigating a dog attack at the hotel but will not release any details about the incident until the investigation is complete. Investigators also want the women to identify the dog.
The sisters plan on filing charges against the dog's owner.
The also have some advice for pet owners, especially when staying at a hotel.
The Extended Stay Deluxe website says the hotel has pet friendly rooms.
"If you know that you have a huge dog, keep it on a leash," says Cage.
Handford added, "At least put some signs up saying beware of dogs or even just put all the dogs on one floor."
Barley able to walk, off work until at least Thursday, and having nightmares the women are finding a way to smile.
"When you go back over the situation and you realize what you did, it's kind of funny. It is. Yeah, and the pit bull did win. He won. He got both us," Cage said laughing.
"Laugh so you don't cry. You've got to make the best out of every situation," is how Handford says she is handling the situation.
A call to Extended Stay Hotels' corporate office was not returned, as of Monday afternoon.
Copyright 2012 WLBT. All rights reserved.
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