SAN ANTONIO – Another dog attack in San Antonio happened on Saturday, which community members, city agencies, and elected officials have called a disturbing trend.
The Dec. 14 case involved a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old who were seriously injured after being attacked by a pit bull inside a West Side apartment.
This latest attack is the seventh case that KSAT has reported on in Bexar County this year, all packed into the last few months. Five were in the City of San Antonio.
Five of those attacks involved children, one of them killing a 1-year-old boy.
A 44-year-old woman was walking on the Southwest Side when a pack of six dogs ambushed her.
She suffered a minor injury from a leg bite, according to police. She was released from a hospital the day after the attack.
The pack of dogs then ripped off a strobe light on an SAPD patrol car as he tried to help her.
The City of San Antonio Animal Care Services deemed the dogs dangerous and euthanized them.
The dogs' owner faces several criminal citations, including the bite itself, letting the dogs roam freely, and not providing proof of rabies vaccinations or microchips.
Three dogs broke through a fence and attacked SAPD K-9 Gordy, whose handler had to step in.
Gordy’s handler — an SAPD officer who was off-duty at the time — was not able to separate the dogs from fighting. Police said he fired multiple shots at his neighbor’s dogs to stop the attack.
Three of the dogs, including Gordy, were struck by the gunfire. One of the neighbor’s dogs died, as well as the K-9.
ACS issued six citations to the owner of the three dogs.
A 2-year-old boy was bitten by a pit bull in northeast Bexar County.
The BCSO deputy who responded to the attack said the dog charged at him while he attempted to get out of the patrol vehicle when the pit bull charged at him.
The deputy fired three shots at the pit bull.
A woman who was babysitting a 1-year-old boy left her home near Converse and sequestered the baby in a room with her 13-year-old daughter to keep the child away from her three dogs.
The dogs forced their way into the room and attacked 1-year-old Jiryiah Johnson and then bit the 13-year-old girl who was trying to protect him.
Jiryiah died from his injuries.
The dogs have since been euthanized.
Heather Rodriguez, who was the owner of the dogs, was arrested and taken to jail. She is now awaiting her criminal case.
A 2-year-old boy was bit in the face while reaching out to a dog that was on a leash in northwest Bexar County.
The boy went to the hospital with a wound to his mouth.
A 16-year-old girl who was leaving her house to head to school was attacked by a pit bull in her driveway, and it was caught on their doorbell camera.
She was bit on her leg and left her “traumatized,” according to her mother.
The dog was quarantined for 10 days, but her mother is asking for more to happen in the case.
The most recent case involved a 1-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl who were attacked by a pit bull at a West Side apartment complex.
A woman who was babysitting the children was bathing the dog before the incident. After she had finished bathing the dog, police said it ran into a bedroom where the two children were.
The 1-year-old girl was bitten on her face above her eye, and the 3-year-old suffered wounds to her lip and upper arm. They were both rushed to the hospital.
ACS said the owner of the pit bull and the children’s babysitter each face two criminal citations for the attack itself and a lack of rabies vaccination and microchip.
According to SAPD, the pit bull will be quarantined pending further investigation.
City Council Response
These incidents combined compelled the City of San Antonio to re-examine its penalties for irresponsible dog owners.
Earlier this month, on Dec. 5, the City Council unanimously passed stricter penalties.
City Council drastically raised the fines for owners who fail to prevent their dogs from biting people.
They also allowed the sterilization of dangerous dogs before they are returned to their owners.
Resources
ACS said the root problem is irresponsible pet ownership and guardianship, and more training is needed.
The agency offers free training in person and through its videos online. Email ACSTrainer@sanantonio.gov to learn more.
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