Park Patrons Warned Away After Dog Attack Reported In Buena Vista Park

CALIFORNIA -- Tipster Jacqueline R. reports that the SFPD asked people to leave Buena Vista Park yesterday morning after a dog allegedly made attacks on other dogs in the park.

Jacqueline heard this from two other park patrons yesterday, Thursday morning at around 10 o'clock. She was walking around the perimeter of the park after police officers warned park patrons away from the area. One person she spoke to "mentioned the dog had attacked dogs and ripped some guy's clothes."

"I did see two patrol cars and one Animal Control van driving around—but no clue as to whether or not anyone or the dog itself was caught," she said.

Officer Dennis from the SFPD's Park Station said this morning that the police were responding to two separate calls about a stray dog, described as a pit bull, who attacked the first caller's dog, but said they were unable to get further descriptions of the attack dog because the caller refused to respond to the dispatcher's queries.

Officer Dennis said that after a two-hour search of the park they were unable to find the dog, and encountered only a part pit bull mother with a litter of puppies, which matched the initial description.

Animal control, however, said that as a mother with puppies, it was extremely unlikely that the dog would have left her litter for an offensive attack. "We thought it might be this particular dog," said Officer Dennis, but it appeared not to be, "and unfortunately we couldn't find it."

"When you walk your dog," he said, "just make sure you keep your eyes open, and if you see an unleashed dog, go the other direction."

He said that because the dog with puppies was apparently part pit bull and was obviously not spayed, animal control issued a citation for violation of the San Francisco ordinance requiring all pit bulls to be spayed or neutered.

This comes after years of pit bull controversy along Haight Street, and just a year after NBC was reporting stories of attacks by pit bulls in the Upper Haight, based on the accounts of Haight Street merchants. It's also in the midst of a recognized influx of homeless encampments in Buena Vista Park and funding to clean and improve the park.

Officer Dennis did not specify whether the attacking dog in question was that of a homeless person, or whether the initial caller indicated as much.

If you see a dangerous dog, the vicious and dangerous dog hotline is available at  (415) 554-9213.

(Hoodline - Feb 13, 2015)