A Portland judge has sentenced a second homeless woman whose dog was part of a pack that attacked a visitor to her homeless camp — chewing off the guest’s ear and mauling her arm to the point it had to be amputated — to 60 days in jail.
Multnomah County Circuit Judge Adele Ridenour found 35-year-old Cierra Graham guilty on Tuesday of maintaining a dangerous dog, Gemma, who was among the pack of eight dogs who pounced on Mytoka Petry and almost killed her.
Last month, Judge Melvin Oden-Orr sentenced 36-year-old Alexandria Hendon to six months in jail after she pleaded guilty to the same charge for three of her dogs at the same camp. That case ended with a plea deal, so it never went to trial.
But last week, Graham contested the charges against her during a two-day trial before Ridenour. Although prosecutors charged Graham with owning three dogs who took part in the July 2024 attack, Ridenour determined that she was guilty of owning only one dog who participated.
Petry, who was 47 at the time, had arrived at the homeless camp near North Columbia Boulevard, just south of the Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area, to help her brother. He was homeless at the time and starting to move his belongings out of the camp.
Petry testified that she suddenly turned around and the dogs dragged her to the ground and bit her repeatedly. She said she lost and regained consciousness again and again before the dogs finally stopped.
By then, the damage was done. Petry was rushed to the hospital, where surgeons had to amputate her left arm. They were able to save one of her legs, which she had been at risk of losing. She also lost her left ear.
Her left eyelid was torn and her vision severely damaged. Her lips also were torn, and surgeons had to sew them back in place.
In her defense, Graham testified that she wasn’t at the camp and had left her dogs in her RV with her boyfriend before the pack of dogs attacked. She said she was shocked to learn of the mauling.
In addition to 60 days in jail, Graham was sentenced to two years of probation. During that time, she won’t be allowed to own pets.
All eight of the dogs believed to have been involved in the attack were euthanized.
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