Man Attacked By Two Pit Bulls While Walking

On the evening of August 13, a 65-year-old man in San Antonio, Texas suffered personal injuries when he was attacked by a pair of dogs on the west side of the city.

According to the man, Jacob Zaragosa, as he was walking to a neighbor’s house near sunset, two dogs escaped from a partially-opened driveway gate and chased him down.

Zaragosa said that the pit bulls or pit bull mixes knocked him to the pavement and bit him.

At that time, Zaragosa says, a passing motorist saw the attack, stopped his vehicle, sounded his horn, jumped out of the vehicle, and waved a shovel at the dogs, driving them away.

Zaragosa said that it was not the first time the dogs have chased him, but it was the first time they had bitten him. He said other neighbors later approached him and shared similar stories of the dogs barking at and chasing anyone who came near the house.

Zaragosa was treated at the scene for bite wounds he suffered to his shoulder and hand. He also complained that during the fall, his hip was injured.

The owner of the dogs, Juan Alva, arrived at the scene after being called and informed by his brother about what had happened. He says he had the dogs for protection because his home had recently been broken into and his truck had been stolen.

Animal Care Services issued Alva four citations for the dog bite, no proof of a rabies vaccination, no city license, and both dogs being free of any restraints.

Alva claimed one of the dogs was a stray that had been hanging around his home for a month. However, the ACS officer said an animal is no longer considered a stray after being fed by someone for three days. That dog was taken to the pound.

Another dog was placed under quarantine at a veterinarian’s office because it had not been vaccinated in at least a year.