Elderly man mauled to death in 'horrific' dog attack that injured 3 others, firefighters used pickaxes to fend off dogs from victims

 

An elderly man was mauled to death in a "horrific" dog attack in San Antonio, Texas.

Around 1:45 p.m. on Friday, firefighters were dispatched to a residential neighborhood in San Antonio after reports of an elderly man "being dragged by a dog." When firefighters arrived at the scene, they could see the 81-year-old man "completely bloodied before they got off the fire truck," according to San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood.

The two American Staffordshire terriers also attacked two other people. Police said the dogs caused "visible bite injuries to both victims."

The dogs were aggressive toward the firefighters and prevented them from helping the victims. The SAFD firefighters were forced to defend themselves with pickaxes and pike poles as they attempted to treat the victims.

Hood said, "This is not something normal for us. We usually don’t show up and have to defend patients from animals or ourselves."

A fire captain suffered a bite wound to the leg, but will recover from his injuries. Another person was reportedly bitten on the hand.

All three victims were taken to University Hospital for their injuries from the dog attack. The elderly man was given blood at the scene, but later died from his injuries. A 74-year-old female victim is conscious, but was in critical condition, according to the SAFD.

Hood said the actions of the firefighters were "very heroic."

"Horrific scene, horrific for the people who experienced it and horrific for our firefighters that were part of this," Hood said.

Police said the two American Staffordshire terriers escaped their yard and attacked the couple.

Officers with the San Antonio Police Department arrested the owner of the dogs.

Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, was hit with a felony charge of attack by dangerous dog causes death and a felony charge of injury to an elderly, according to a statement from the SAPD.

Shannon Sims, director of San Antonio Animal Care Services, said three dogs were seized by animal control on Friday. All three dogs were owned by the same property owner, but only two were suspected of the deadly dog attack.

San Antonio Animal Care Services said the three dogs were to be euthanized on Friday.

Sims told KSAT-TV that the shelter had received numerous calls from concerned neighbors in the past two years claiming the dogs were neglected and seemed to be strays.

Sims said the two Staffordshire terriers, a male and female, were involved in a "previous bite" incident in 2021. The animals were temporarily impounded after the incident, then returned to their owners.

The Spruce Pets notes the differences between American Staffordshire terriers and American pit bull terriers:

There is no technical breed called a pit bull. There is, however, a breed called the American pit bull terrier. Generally speaking, the American Staffordshire terrier is nearly the same as the American pit bull terrier. The main difference is Am Staffs conform to a narrower size range, per the American Kennel Club (AKC) standard, and American pit bull terriers have greater variances in size and other physical traits.