Two Dogs Attack Man Near Southgate

An animal control officer in Colorado Springs said two dogs got loose from their yard Wednesday and attacked an unidentified man walking his his dog, leaving the man with moderate to severe bites.

It happened around 3 p.m. in the 2400 block of Byers Avenue. The officer said the attacking dogs were a pit bull and a boxer mix who attacked a man and his German shepherd. The latter was taken to a veterinarian for treatment. The attacking dogs are now at the Pikes Peak Humane Society.

The officer said the dogs belong to a homeowner at 2417 Byers Avenue. A woman there said the homeowner had not returned from work, and she doesn’t know how the dogs escaped.

Heather Thompson of 2413 Byers Avenue said she called for help after she heard the attack happening outside her home. A woman grabbed a tree branch to help the victim resist the dogs, Thompson said.

“For a long time, it was a scuffle of just people and dogs,” said Thompson. “You couldn’t even hear what was going on. And then they got the German shepherd free, and (the woman) was trying to get it home, and the tan dog was going after them again. The guy, who was probably in his 20s, at one time had all of his body weight on the dog trying to hold the dog down.”

Neighbors said the dogs were seen running loose earlier in the day but were not threatening anyone.

Police and the Humane Society will investigate the incident.