A pit bull attack near North 42nd Street and East Idlewild Avenue in Tampa ended with officers opening fire on the dog Thursday morning, after police said it had already killed a smaller dog and was mauling the smaller dog's owner, a man in his 60s. The man was rushed to a hospital with serious injuries, and the pit bull died at the scene.
Officers Arrived to an Attack Already in Progress
According to Tampa Bay 28, Tampa police officers responded shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday to a report of a dog attack in the area. When they arrived, they found an adult pit bull that had already fatally injured a smaller dog and was continuing to attack the smaller dog's owner. Police said officers fired their weapons to stop the attack and prevent the man from suffering further injuries, and the pit bull died as a result.
The man was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Police had not immediately provided additional information about his condition. Hillsborough County Animal Control responded to the scene and took custody of both dogs, according to the outlet's report.
Owner of the Pit Bull Still Unidentified
Investigators are now working to identify and locate the owner of the pit bull, the report notes, meaning it remains unclear who was responsible for the animal or whether the dog had any history with authorities. Anyone with information about the dog's owner or the attack is asked to contact the Tampa Police Department and reference report 26-649554.
This is not the first time Tampa officers have had to use force to stop a dog mid-attack. In a separate incident, WFLA reported that police responded to a dog attack on East Mulberry Drive around 1 p.m. on a Wednesday, Jan. 29, where an officer shot the dog after pepper spray failed to make it release a woman it had attacked.
A Pattern Seen Beyond Tampa
Similar scenes have played out elsewhere in recent days. The Oakland Press reported that a 39-year-old Hazel Park, Michigan woman was severely injured Saturday night when she was attacked by her two pit bulls and her Presa Canario, suffering wounds to her neck, arms and legs. In that case, officers shot and killed one of the dogs after the wounded animal and another dog circled back toward the victim, per The Oakland Press.
In Hillsborough County, dogs formally classified as dangerous fall under specific local rules. Per guidance from Hillsborough County's Code Enforcement division, an owner must register a dog with Animal Control within 14 days of a dangerous-dog determination, and that registration certificate must be renewed annually. Failure to properly register such a dog may result in a fine of up to $500, according to the county's published guidance. It is not known whether any such classification applies to the pit bull involved in Thursday's attack.
