Two Dogs Cause a 'Horrific Scene' in San Antonio, Leaving an 81-Year-Old Man Dead and Three Others Injured

An 81-year-old man in Texas is dead, and three other individuals are injured after being attacked by two dogs on Friday.

The San Antonio Police Department said in a press release that the attack occurred as the man, whose identity has not been released, visited a relative with a female companion.

Witnesses tell the SAPD that the dogs, who are of the American Staffordshire Terrier breed, had broken through the front gate of a nearby home just before the incident. They then attacked the couple as they stepped out of their vehicle and bit their relative on the hand. The dogs also injured a San Antonio Fire Department captain by biting him in the leg after officials began to arrive at the scene.

SAFD Chief Charles Hood told KSAT-TV that the department had to fight the dogs off with pickaxes and pike poles as soon as they arrived.

"This is not something normal for us. We usually don't show up and have to defend patients from animals or ourselves," he said.

"Horrific scene, horrific for the people who experienced it and horrific for our firefighters that were part of this," he added.

San Antonio Animal Care Services added in Friday's press release that they had identified three dogs that belong to the property where the attack took place. All three remain under their custody and are scheduled to be euthanized on Friday night.

Information obtained during a preliminary investigation into the attack shows that the SAPD responded to a prior incident relating to the dogs in November.

During a visit to the property by SAPD officials, the property's owner was told that the dogs needed to stay inside the property. At least two of the dogs were also involved in a pair of confirmed bite cases in January and September 2021.

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The release adds that multiple charges are pending concerning the incident as the SAACS and the SAPD continue to investigate. The City of San Antonio is also reviewing any related 911 and 311 call history associated with the area of the attack.