A quiet Thursday morning on San Antonio's Northwest Side turned chaotic when an 80-year-old woman was mauled by a pit bull in the backyard of a neighborhood home, police said. The attack left her with serious bites to her face and eye and triggered a trauma call that brought emergency crews racing to the 8900 block of Arch Bridge in the Guilleau Gardens subdivision shortly before 11 a.m.
According to News 4 San Antonio, officers described a still-active scene as medics worked on the woman in the yard before taking her to a local hospital. Sgt. E. Rodriguez told the station, "They were in the backyard. Soon as grandma stepped outside, the dog attacked her, biting her on the face and head area." Police said the dog belongs to the boyfriend of the victim's granddaughter. Investigators say he removed the dog before officers arrived, and they are now searching for both the animal and its owner.
Injuries and investigation
The woman suffered bites to her face and eye and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, News 4 San Antonio reports. San Antonio police say the investigation is ongoing and have not released details on the victim's current condition or whether any charges could be filed.
What could happen to the dog and owner
San Antonio's Animal Care Services can open a formal dangerous-dog investigation only after a victim or witness files a notarized dangerous-dog affidavit, San Antonio Report explains. The city tightened dog-bite enforcement after a deadly mauling in 2023 and now quarantines animals that bite and in some situations pursues tougher citations or criminal cases, the Express-News reports. ACS typically handles about 3,000 to 4,000 bite reports each year.
How to report a bite and what to watch for
For serious injuries, authorities advise calling 911 immediately. Nonemergency dog bites can be reported to Animal Care Services through the 311 system, according to the city's animal-control guidance. City of San Antonio Animal Care Services notes it serves as the local rabies control authority and determines whether a biting animal must be quarantined or tested.
Federal public-health guidance recommends that a healthy dog that bites a person be confined and observed for 10 days to help rule out rabies, according to the CDC.
San Antonio police say the case remains active and are asking anyone with information about the dog or its owner to contact authorities. This story will be updated as more details are released.
