Detroit man injured in attack by 4 dogs

A man was bitten on several parts of his body Friday by four large dogs on the city’s west side, police said Friday.  

The 62-year-old was in serious condition after the attack, which occurred about 9:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of Fullerton. The victim suffered injuries to both of his legs, shoulder and ear, according to a police news release.

The dogs ran from their yard and began attacking the victim while he was walking in the area. Officers responded to the scene and attempted to make contact with the dog’s owner, but were not successful.

A witness at the scene attempted to help the victim by hitting the dogs with an object, authorities said. The witness was able to secure the gate of the dogs' yard after the animals returned back inside of it.

Detroit Animal Control was notified and responded to the location.

The attack comes as Detroit has seen an uptick in dog bites and tickets being issued to negligent pet owners since 2019. In 2020, data showed Detroit averaged 34 bite reports per month, compared with 28 per month since the year before. Zip codes 48228, 48235, 48205, 48219 and 48224 had the most reports of stray dogs and dog bites in Detroit.

According to Detroit’s District 4 animal investigator, Jenetra Chandle, more than 80% of the dog bites in the city are not from stray dogs.

Dog owners in Detroit are allowed up to four dogs per household. In 2020, the number of dogs surrendered by owners was almost double the year before.

If you see a potentially dangerous roaming dog in your area, or have a report of a bite or chained and barking dogs, contact the city’s animal care and control call center at 313-922-DOGS.