According to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services on Thursday, the man, whose name was not released, was bitten in the face, an arm and a leg by the 8-year-old dog, which belongs to a homeowner in the rural community of De Luz.
The severe injuries required the man to seek emergency medical aid, department spokesman John Welsh said.
The victim was cleaning a pool where he had been “multiple” times when the property owner’s dog, Pigbert, turned violent and went after him, Welsh said.
The pool cleaner was able to fend off the aggressive animal for several minutes but apparently lost his footing and fell, at which point the dog clamped onto him in several places, Welsh said.
After fighting to free himself for more than a minute, the man finally got away from the dog, jumped a fence and drove to a hospital, Welsh said.
A nurse at the hospital called the Department of Animal Services, prompting an animal control officer to investigate. Pigbert’s owner surrendered the dog, which was impounded at the county’s animal shelter in San Jacinto, Welsh said.
The dog could be euthanized, or possibly returned to his owner on the condition that he be secured in a way that prevents any future incidents, Welsh said. A decision on the dog’s fate was expected in the coming days.
The dog had exhibited hostility toward the pool cleaner on previous occasions, leading the man to request that Pigbert be locked up on the days he was on the property, Welsh said.
(The Desert Sun - Sept 25, 2014)
No comments:
Post a Comment