At around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 18, law enforcement and EMS responded to the area of Farm-to-Market Road 1729 and County Road 2700, just outside of New Deal, for reports of a pack of seven dogs attacking a man.
A nearby resident said the man was outside with two smaller dogs when he was attacked. The resident also shared that a couple of men, who happened to be working nearby, heard the man’s screams and rushed to him before medical help could reach the scene. The smaller dogs are reportedly okay.
The victim was transported to University Medical Center, where officials say he was listed in ‘satisfactory condition.’
Officials with the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office said they are going through the process of seizing the animals from the owners. Once seized, the animals will be held until a court date is decided. Depending on the judge’s ruling, the dogs could either go back to the owners or be handed over to the county, if in which case, the dogs will be euthanized.
Criminal negligence charges are now pending for the owners.
Lenny Williams lives nearby and said the pack of dogs are infamous in the area for roaming together and have even been known to get into livestock. Williams says he’s had to shoot at the dogs once before just to scare them away from cornering his cattle and horses.
“They just act like they’re wild. If they’re attacking livestock and then somebody this morning, then that’s not a good deal at all,” said Williams. “They’re running around crazy just messing with everybody pretty much.”
Williams said that while he was saddened when he learned that someone was viciously attacked by the dogs, that it also did not come as a surprise to him.
“Not at all, the way they were acting when we saw them a couple of weeks back, yeah it doesn’t surprise me one bit,” said Williams. “Keep your dogs locked up, or get rid of them if you can’t take care of them, something needs to be done.”