Arkansas: 78-year-old man's leg amputated after pit bull attack, sheriff's office says

ARKANSAS -- A man's left leg will have to be amputated after he was attacked by three pit bulls on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say John Taylor, 78, was in his backyard when the dogs mauled him.

In a report, authorities said the man, John Ray Taylor of Pine Bluff, was able to call his son, Kevin Taylor, while in distress around 2:34 p.m. that day.

When Kevin Taylor and his wife, Janet, arrived in the 10000 block of Conifer Trail in Pine Bluff, both saw three dogs, one bloody, “pulling at something,” according to the report. His father had severe injuries to a calf muscle as well as to his face, arms and legs, authorities said.

Kevin Taylor initially charged at the pit bulls, stomping and screaming in an attempt to scare them off of his father, he told the sheriff’s office. When that didn't work, he shot and killed two of the pit bulls; the third one ran away and is still on the loose.

"He tried to shoo them away by stomping at him, that was not effective, they in fact, charged at him at that point he retrieved his weapon and was actually able to put down, kill, two of the three pit bulls,” said Major Lafayette Woods Jr., Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Woods tells Channel 7 Taylor's left leg will have to be amputated, and he also suffered numerous lacerations. One sergeant described in the incident report, that Taylor was bleeding from every limb on his body and the face area.

"Typically we know that in these cases, the dogs stray off from the property or their owners and they typically stray back or come back to the property, that has not happened that we know of,” added Woods.

KATV attempted to speak with the dogs’ owner, Christian Henry, 39, who initially denied the dogs were his, but it appeared no one was home.

"This could have been fatal, could have been fatal, had it not been for the response of the victim's son which I commend and being able to respond to his father's call for help, and it's a short distance between where his father lives and where he lives,” said Woods.

Henry was cited for vicious animal ordinance. Woods said when they find the third dog, it will be quarantined for 10 days while they check for rabies and observe the dog’s behavior.

Taylor's son-in-law Gary Greenlee told a responding deputy that the dogs were involved in another attack weeks ago in which they were running loose, attacked and mauled a pig to death.

 

(Arkansas Online - Aug 25, 2016)

Earlier:

• Arkansas: Woman asks for prayers after her uncle was attacked in his own yard by three pit bulls