Local man mauled by dogs

A Washington County man suffered severe bite wounds from a dog attack on August 24, according to law enforcement reports. Several others were also bitten by the same dog throughout the course of events that developed before deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call.

The call came into the Washington County Communications Center around 2:15 p.m., with the complainant reporting multiple bites from an aggressive dog. The caller advised dispatch he was bitten while attempting to help his neighbors who had also sustained dog bites. The caller went on to state he shot one of the dogs but had missed another one that had been on scene, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office report.

When deputies arrived, multiple EMS units were assisting a male who had a bite to his forearm. The male subject advised he was the caller and went on to recall the events that had occurred. 

The man stated he lives in Ray’s Place trailer park and saw a black car sitting at the entrance to the park, not moving before observing a man and two women who appeared to be “fighting with two dogs.†The man told deputies it was then he exited his vehicle with a 1911-style handgun in an attempt to get the dogs off the subjects. The man went on to say he had “gotten a shot off and hit one of the dogs but was bitten by the other dog in the process.â€

The report states deputies and EMS began to walk through the trailer park in search of the second male subject who was bitten, locating him lying next to the black car, which had been parked at a trailer in the back of the park. The man had sustained multiple severe bites to his face, hands, arms, abdomen, and groin. EMS began addressing his wounds and called Airheart to transport him to the hospital.

Covered in blood with a laceration on her forearm, one of the female subjects spoke with deputies and EMS and advised them she was the owner of the two dogs. WCSO stated the woman was “clearly intoxicated†and refused to obey commands from deputies and EMS. A short while later, first responders were able to get her into her home and treat her wounds.

A deputy spoke with the second female who stated she had been riding in the backseat of the car with the dogs, their owner, and the second wounded male when the pair in front “began to argue and yell.†She stated one of the dogs “was not fond of yelling,†causing him to bite the male driver on his arm. According to the witness, the man then began to slap at the dog, “which made him bite even more.â€

The witness said she was unable to control the biting dog and was not strong enough to pull him off of the man. She advised deputies she had stabbed the dog in an effort to make him stop biting. The dogs’ owner also first sustained a bite to her arm as she was exiting the vehicle. It was at this time the neighbor said tried to help – but ultimately “shot the wrong dog,†sustaining his own bite wounds in the process.

The female witness said she was able to put the dogs in kennels in the owner’s house, where she assisted Animal Control in taking possession of the dogs. All victims were treated by EMS and transported to local hospitals.

There is no word at this time on any of the bite victims’ current condition.