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E-mail This StoryThe two dogs that were involved in an attack on two Southlake women earlier this week have been euthanized and their bodies sent to Austin for testing for rabies, according to Rhonda Voshalike, public information officer for the Southlake Department of Public Safety.
The attack occurred shortly after noon on Monday in the 1600 block of Pearson Lane in Southlake. One woman was bitten but the skin wasn’t broken; the other women was bitten several times by both dogs and was taken to a local hospital by private vehicle where she received stitches to close the puncture wounds.
“The gist of the incident is that we were dealing with two dogs, a Boxer and a Beagle, who had dug out of their back yard and were wandering around the neighborhood around Pearson Lane,” Voshalike said. “They began fighting through the fence with two other dogs and the homeowner went out to intervene. At that time, the Boxer bit her on the leg, bruising her but not breaking the skin.”
The woman’s next door neighbor heard the commotion and came out to help. According to Voshalike, the second woman was bitten on both legs and knocked to the ground by the Boxer. After she was on the ground, the Beagle bit her several times on the back and on the legs.”
“Later in the day our animal control officer was able to locate the home where the dogs lived and made contact with the owner,” Voshalike said. “He determined that at least one of the dogs was not current on its rabies and other vaccinations. At that point the owner released the animals to the city. They were then euthanized and sent to Austin for testing to make sure neither dog was infected with rabies or other diseases.”
Voshalike said had the vaccinations on the dogs been current, they could have been left with the owner, provided she could prove to animal control officials that she would be able to keep them secure, during the quarantine period. Since that wasn’t the case, the city would have been required to pay for keeping the animals under quarantine and observation, at a cost of about $1,000.
“We never like to put an animal down, but the city has a policy that they don’t adopt out an animal that has attacked someone,” Voshalike said. “The owner also had some concerns because of the attack. Our only option was to euthanize both dogs so they could be tested. That was the only way the woman who was bitten would be able to know for certain if the animal had any diseases or not.”
Voshalike urged all pet owners to keep their animals’ shots up to date.
“We live in a city where there are still some rural areas,” she said. “It is not unusual for pets to come in contact with animals like raccoons or skunks that are known to carry rabies.”
Pet owners are required by city ordinance to have their animals vaccinated for rabies and other diseases.
Contact staff writer Linda Taylor at 972-538-2116 or linda.taylor@scntx.com
