Witness says up to a dozen dogs involved in early morning attack

INDIANA -- A man attacked by a pack of dogs early Wednesday morning in Evansville is now listed in fair condition.

Police say 40-year-old William Earl Cathey was attacked while riding his bike in the area of Jefferson Avenue, near Governor and Garvin, around 5:20 a.m.

A neighbor tells 14 News as many as 12 dogs, of multiple different breeds, were involved in the attack.

A neighbor says she heard a man screaming for help, so she called 911.

Police say the victim was still being attacked when officers arrived. That's when an officer fired one shot at one of the dogs. The dog retreated and police say they fired a second shot to put it out of its pain.

The neighbor who called 911 says she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"He had three Pit bulls, bigger looked like adult dogs, one on his leg, one on his other leg and one on his shirt. Then there were smaller little bitty ones with a Husky dog fighting each other. Dogs are on him, dogs are fighting other dogs," the witness said.

"After he stopped screaming, he laid there flat and I knew he was like either passed out or even dead because he just laid there. The rain just poured down and the dogs was all covered in blood. If the dogs were covered in blood he must have lost a lot of blood."

Early Wednesday morning, police had accounted for four dogs that may have been involved, and they said others had not been found.

Animal Control was called to assist the officers. The dogs will be quarantined for the next ten days to see what happens with the investigation.

Cathey was taken to the hospital to be treated for multiple puncture wounds. He's in fair condition.

Police say the owners could be facing misdemeanor charges.

(WFIE - Oct 31, 2013)