During the evening hours of Oct. 11, a female, 35, was walking along the roadway in the Quailcrest Drive area when she was approached by four pit bull type dogs. As she attempted to back away from the animals to maintain a safe distance, one of the dogs attacked her, causing her to fall to the ground. The other three dogs then joined the attack, exhibiting pack aggression.
The victim reported individuals in a passing vehicle approached the scene and were able to scare the dogs away, bringing the attack to an end. She asked the individuals to transport her to the hospital; however, they left the scene. The victim then made her way to a nearby residence, where a neighbor provided assistance and emergency services were notified.
On the scene was Deputy Anderson Walker, Deputy Christopher Smith and State Park Police Officer Gary Carter. All three immediately rendered medical aid to control the victim’s bleeding and protect her from further exposure to the elements. After assessing the severity of her injuries, Deputy Walker determined immediate transportation to a hospital was necessary. He placed the victim in his patrol vehicle and transported her to Livingston CHI. Due to the severity of her injuries, the victim was subsequently transported by Life Flight to a hospital in the Harris County area for further treatment.
After transporting the victim, Deputy Walker returned to the area and identified the owner of the dogs. The owner was issued citations for failure to vaccinate the animals and allowing animals to roam at large. The dogs were secured pending the arrival of animal control.
Deputies and animal control personnel subsequently arrived on scene and safely removed the dogs from the area. The animals were transported to the Polk County Animal Control facility, where they were placed under the required 10-day quarantine for rabies observation. During the removal process, Animal Control Officer Krista Lawson sustained a bite to her hand.
Following completion of the 10-day rabies quarantine, the sheriff’s office will proceed with the process of having the dogs declared dangerous.
