Dogs Attack Animal Control Officers During OKC Dog Bite Investigation

Two animal welfare employees with the city of Oklahoma City are recovering from bites they suffered during a dog attack Friday morning.

The officers were there looking into another dog bite involving a juvenile that happened Thursday at the same location in the 3400 block of S Goff Avenue.

“Out of nowhere, the dogs left the property and charged him and attacked him,” said Trace Lyons with Oklahoma City's Animal Welfare Division.

Animal welfare said four dogs, all believed to be pit bulls, got loose from the yard and charged the animal control officer

“There was like four or five other dogs that were already there and he had to call for backup and they all got pretty aggressive,” a witness told News 9 at the scene.

The officer was bitten on the legs, stomach and back. Then his supervisor arrived to check out the scene.

He was bitten as soon as he got out of his vehicle.

“It's sad for the dogs,” one neighbor told News 9. “It's the owners, it's really not the dogs, it's just the owners that don't pay attention to them,” she explained.

Officers said they could not tell which dogs were responsible for which bites because they operated as a pack.

“It's always a risk and we train our officers to recognize that,” said Lyons. “In this case, it was very, almost like a surprise attack, he didn't see it coming,” he added.

Lyons said both animal welfare employees are going to be okay and the juvenile who was bitten the day before has minor injuries.

Animal control officers removed the four dogs from the property and the animals will stay in quarantine for 10 days at the animal welfare facility.

The owner may be able to pick the dogs up after quarantine.

However, if animal welfare decides this is a criminal offense, then the case goes before a judge.

Animal control has not been able to talk to the owners yet.

They left behind a yellow warning on the door of the home, telling the owners to call them immediately.