CALIFORNIA -- The Trinity Pines man who was mauled by three dogs at a friend's house had to have his right leg amputated after the attack, Trinity County Sheriff's Detective Jeremy Ammon said Tuesday.
Joseph Byram, 53, was in fair condition at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, a nursing supervisor said Tuesday afternoon.
"It sounds like a real tragic accident," Ammon said of Friday's attack.
Byram told investigators he had gone to the home of Timothy Smith, 19, in Trinity Pines south of Hayfork on Friday afternoon. When he discovered Smith was not at home, Byram started walking down the driveway where he was attacked by two pit bulls and a Rottweiler, Ammon said.
Byram tried to fight back for about 30 minutes. Smith found him a short time later.
The dogs did not have histories of being vicious, Ammon said.
"Based on our investigation, we don't find anything criminal at this point," Ammon said, adding that the case will be forwarded to the Trinity County District Attorney's Office.
However, Byram told investigators he had an encounter with the dogs about two weeks ago, suggesting that Byram possibly wasn't comfortable around the dogs.
"But there is no indication that it was anything major," said Ammon, who didn't know the specifics of Byram's run-in with the animals.
When animal control officers went to pick up the dogs, Ammon said the animals were friendly and non-combative.
(Record Searchlight - March 17, 2010)
