A man is recovering after being attacked by two pit bulls in the Nauck neighborhood on Sunday night— an attack the man’s juvenile son witnessed.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Police say the approximately 40-year-old man was getting out of his truck near the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and S. Oakland Street when two pit bulls started attacking him without provocation. The dogs grabbed onto his arms as the man struggled, and as his son watched from the truck.
“Someone call 911, the dogs are attacking my dad!” the boy screamed out of the truck’s window, according to police.
A neighbor called police, but the dogs let go and returned to their home before officers arrived. As the man was treated by paramedics, police located the dogs at a nearby townhouse. According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, one of the dogs charged an officer and was shot dead. The other was captured without incident and is being held by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.
Susan Sherman, Deputy Executive Director of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington says the public can rest assure that the dogs are no longer posing any danger to the community.
She describes the dog, now in quarantine at the shelter, as a pitbull mix.
Sherman says they know who the dog’s owner is, but they have not been able to make contact with him. Therefore they don’t know if the dog had its proper rabies vaccine.
The dog could be in quarantine for as little as ten days to several months. It will depend on several factors, including the up-to-date rabies vaccine.
The dog’s outcome also depends on several factors. A judge could deem the dog dangerous which would put restrictions on the owner and dog. The dog could also be put down.
WTOP’s Darci Marchese contributed to this report.
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