Idaho: Man saves himself and his Sheltie by stabbing two pit bulls to death that attacked them both

▓ Police say he was walking his Sheltie on a leash when he was attacked by two unrestrained pit bulls.

IDAHO -- Across the country every day, about 1,000 people need emergency care for a dog bite, and the majority of those attacks are from Pit Bulls.

Over the weekend, a man was walking his dog and was attacked by two pit bulls in Chubbuck. Police say he tried to protect himself and his dog by stabbing both dogs with his pocket knife.

Chubbuck police say it’s unusual to have a vicious dog attack. This year, they’ve only had five incidents involving any dog bites. This dog is safely behind a chain fence.

In the City of Chubbuck, animal control usually handles majority of all animal calls but, "When we have information that there's criminal activity involved. Then the police get involved to address the criminal activity,” said Lt. Bill Guiberson.

On Saturday Chubbuck Police and the city’s animal control were called to Scott Street for two Pit Bulls suffering from stab wounds. Guiberson says, "In the years that I've been with the department, this is the first instance where somebody's had to defend themselves to this extent that I'm aware of. Fortunately these incidents are extremely rare."

Police say a man was walking his dog, a Shetland Sheepdog, when two loose pit bulls attacked the Sheltie. In hopes of defending his pet, the owners desperately stabbed both Pit Bulls, with a pocket knife.

Guiberson says "So we'll have the prosecutor look at the totality of that. We'll also visit with the victim a little bit. In Idaho the victim in a case has a lot of say so in whether or not charges will be filed."

Both Pit Bulls died from their injuries.

Police also say, the owner of the canines was not on the scene, but was later questioned. Law enforcement say, after this incident they want to encourage responsible pet ownership. "You have to know where that dog is at all times.

You have to know that if you take it for a walk you're able to control that dog, and know where it's at all times. It's not only for the community safety. It's also for that dog's safety as well,” Guiberson said.

One of the Pit Bulls was declared dead by the veterinarian, and the other due to its significant injuries the owner decided to put it down.

As for the man walking his dog, both he and his pet were injured, but are recovering.

In Pocatello, KPVI wanted to know how many dog attacks have been reported. They categorize animals’ incidents as dog bites, and so far, since January they’ve seen 92 dog bites. They say a majority of those cases have happened in people’s homes, where those people have gone to the hospital for their injuries, and the hospital has to report the incidents to the animal shelter.

(KPVI - Oct 17, 2016)