Criminal Charges Unlikely After Man Mauled By Pack Of Dogs In Detroit
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Detroit police say criminal charges are unlikely after a pack of pit bulls severely mauled a 50-year-old man, who remains hospitalized.
Head of Detroit Police Department Animal Control Unit, Harry Ward, said the dogs' owner has been issued five misdemeanor citations; but — although they continue to investigate the attack — that's about the extent of penalties the 61-year-old man will likely face.
Police fatally shot one dog at the scene and rounded up at least 11 others, including four puppies. Those dogs have since been euthanized.
The dogs' owner was arrested Friday on an unrelated warrant, and was released on Tuesday.
Ward said the man, whom police are not naming at this time, was ticked for harboring the dogs unlicensed.
"He was also unable a the scene to provide proof of current rabies vaccinations for the dogs," Ward told WWJ's Zahra Huber. "There is a four adult dog limit in the city of Detroit — so he was harboring over the limit, considerably of adult dogs."
"I'm deeming the dogs vicious," Ward added.
When police came upon the scene in the 4500 block of Pennsylvania, Steve Constantine was lying in a yard, completely naked, being attacked by several pit bulls. Police said he lost both his hands and his feet in the attack.
Ron Gulledge, Constantine's roommate, said his friend was "mangled" in the attack, losing most of one arm and having his head and other limbs bitten.
"He's fighting (but there's) still a long ways to go," Gulledge said. "It's terrible... You don't wish nobody to get eaten alive."
Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody said it appears there was no malicious intent on behalf of the dogs' owner, who wasn't home at the time of the attack.
"This isn't a man who opened his door up (so his dogs would) attack a naked man in his yard. There's more to it than that," Woody told the newspaper.
Woody said it appears the dogs escaped through a side door of the clutter-filled home. All 12 dogs are believed to have participated in the attack, police said.
Woody admitted the dogs' owner might have been negligent — neighbors had complained to police multiple times about his dogs running loose — but said that's not enough to warrant criminal charges.
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