Dog Attacked Man at His Mailbox

On Tuesday October 15th I sent San Angelo City Councilmembers data on animal to human bites for the last six years.  One person responded, Mayor Brenda Gunter.  

Six days later Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden wrote members of City Council.  Morgan stated:

On Saturday October 19th, 2024, ASO responded to 102 E. Riverside Dr. for a significant bite case – dog to person. SAPD was first on scene. 

• The resident observed a loose dog while checking his mailbox at the curb. 
• The gentleman turned his back to walk into his home.
• The dog bit his lower leg and would not release his hold.
• The gentleman drug the attached dog to his front door and attempted to slam the door on the dog. 
• The dog released his bite and followed the resident into the home. 
• The dog resumed biting the gentleman’s feet knocking him to the ground. 
• The resident’s own dog responded and attacked the stray dog. 
• The resident’s brother responded and struck the stray dog with a cane. 
• The dog retreated and ran from the residence with injuries. 

We patrolled and knocked doors of neighboring properties Saturday attempting to locate the dog and identify the owner. Today, we patrolled and spoke to neighbors again. Seeing no dog, we connected with a willing resident to set a live trap. Another neighbor who feeds the dog reports seeing the dog with injuries this morning 10/21/24. The resident sustained significant injuries and was hospitalized for treatment.

On October 16th a citizen sought help from Councilman Harry Thomas and Mayor Gunter regarding two aggressive Dobermans.  That resident wrote:

I have previously contacted Animal Services via the COSA website, as well as directly emailing to Morgan Chegwidden last week (and l have never received a response from her). My church, and my daughter's private elementary school, is at 1700 N. Chadbourne. Somewhere between there and Reagan Elementary school are two aggressive Dobermans. These dogs have chased our school kids into the building multiple times, to where the school has had to order "dog spray" and the teachers carry a 5 foot long piece of rebar outside for recess and PE to be able to protect the kids if dogs come. Animal Services has been called multiple times. 

Last night my husband and one of our pastors returned from a ministry outreach around 7pm, and the dogs were loose again and bothering others in the neighborhood. They called the police department and were told by the officer who responded that he couldn't really do anything but keep calling, keep reporting to the PD and Animal Services so maybe they'd have to do something. My husband has previously had to take a folding metal chair out with him to the parking lot to just safely get to his car, several months back. These animals are out of control. 

Therefore I am just trying to reach out to additional city officials, as well as reporting any instance when the kids are chased in at school on the COSA website, to see why we aren't seeing anything change when someone is allowing their dogs to be loose and they're being reported over and over as being aggressive towards people. I am definitely not for government intervening constantly with private citizens but we can't have someone getting hurt either.

People are getting hurt by loose, aggressive dogs.  It's happening over and over.  

September 18, 2024: This morning around 8:00 am, an employee of The Lighthouse for the Blind was attacked by three dogs on N. Malone behind the Lighthouse building. It was a brutal attack and the victim is currently at the Emergency Room, blood everywhere, tore up his arm and face. This was disturbing, but the police officer could not get animal control to respond to capture the animals. When asked when the animal control would show up the officer could not give a time of arrival and so he went to the ER to get a statement from the victim. In my opinion, an attack would warrant an immediate response to capture the animals. We are now keeping our employees in the building. 

On March 8th an eleven year old boy was attacked by a 72 pound pit bull after getting off the bus. The child screamed for help and was assisted by two men, one of whom also sustained injuries from dog bites. 

I recently requested information on the number of dog to person bites that resulted in trips to the ER, surgery and hospitalization.  The City did not provide that.  

It's time for elected officials to ask many more questions about dog attacks and get the trajectory moving away from exponentially higher.  That is if public safety is really a priority...