An animal control officer in Quincy, Massachusetts, was hospitalized with serious injuries after being attacked by a Cane Corso dog yesterday. The officer, responding to a call about a dog on the loose on Water Street, experienced multiple bites and potentially suffered a broken hand. A neighbor characterized the scene to WCVB as "pretty chaotic," with police and fire services responding to the incident.
Surveillance footage from the area captured the dog running in the street immediately following the attack and later displayed a bystander being knocked over during the pursuit. Neighbors familiar with the dog described it as a large mastiff breed that even its owner seemed to struggle to control. "This dog is super agitated. It tried going to after me a couple times," a neighbor recounted to WCVB. The officer, currently in the hospital, is expected to make a recovery, and authorities have signalled that criminal charges are likely forthcoming in the case.
According to a WHDH report, the surveillance video revealed the off-leash Cane Corso ambushing the officer as she got out of her vehicle. The large dark-haired dog forced the officer to the ground out of the camera's view while she attempted to defend herself. Police described the dog as one known for its substantial size.
Following the attack, a man is seen in the video gaining control over the dog, who was subsequently held in quarantine at Quincy's animal shelter. Determinations about what led to the attack and whether the dog is deemed dangerous still need to be made. The assaulted officer was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries as backup arrived at the scene to lend assistance in the immediate aftermath.
