A routine grocery run in Arverne turned into a bloody street scene Tuesday when a pit bull charged a family just as they were unloading their car, leaving four people injured near Beach 62 Street and Thursby Avenue.
According to ABC7 New York, the victims were a 16-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy, a 37-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman. Police said the teenager suffered injuries to her neck and legs, the boy was bitten on his right thigh, the man hurt his left hand and the woman sustained injuries to her private area.
EMS took the 16-year-old to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, while the 11-year-old, the 37-year-old man and the 42-year-old woman were brought to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital South Shore, all reported in stable condition, ABC7 said. Janmajoy Samrat told the station he ran outside after hearing the commotion and found that “my family members were screaming”; he said a man then grabbed the dog and left without staying to help.
The family had traveled from Canada to visit the children’s grandfather, who was in a local hospital after suffering cardiac arrest, according to the station. By Wednesday, spilled groceries and visible blood spatter still marked the sidewalk at the reported attack site, ABC7 reported in a follow-up.
Queens Continues To Lead NYC In Reported Dog Bites
The attack unfolded against the backdrop of a broader rise in reported dog bites across New York City. A NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene report found the city recorded 3,814 reported dog bites in 2024, the highest tally in its 10-year review, with Queens logging 1,048 of those cases, more than any other borough.
The report notes that bite counts are likely an undercount, especially when owners are not identified or victims never seek medical care. It also points out that many bites occur when people are passing by or entering a dog’s space, a pattern that highlights how a loose or uncontrolled dog can quickly become a neighborhood-level safety problem.
City Rules Could Determine What Happens To The Dog
Under city rules, anyone who knows about a dog bite is required to report it to the Health Department within 24 hours, according to NYC Health. When a dog that has injured someone is brought to a shelter, it must undergo a 10-day rabies observation period while officials evaluate how the attack happened and how severe it was.
If the dog is found and determined to be dangerous, the city can order measures such as confinement, behavioral evaluation, microchipping or requiring the animal to wear a muzzle in public, under the NYC Health Code. Police said Tuesday that no arrests had been made and that the investigation was still ongoing.
