MID-ISLAND, St. Croix — An elderly Estate Clifton Hill resident reported to police that he was viciously attacked by a pack of seven pit bulls belonging to his neighbor two days ago, authorities said.
When police arrived on the scene after a 911 emergency dispatch call about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, they discovered an 84- year-old man with multiple dog bite wounds on various parts of his body.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was on his property when the pack of dogs attacked him.” VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte said. “Close by neighbors heard the man screaming and the commotion of dogs attacking and went to his aid using whatever means to defend the man from the attack.”
The victim sustained multiple severe bite wounds to his feet, leg, hands and face and was taken to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for treatment, according to Dratte. His injuries were so serious he was later airlifted to the Centro Medico Hospital in Puerto Rico.
The dogs that were reported by witnesses attacking the victim were voluntarily surrendered to the proper assisting agency and were removed from the area, the VIPD said. The dogs were humanely euthanized due to their dangerous potential and the owner’s request.
The owner of the dogs was not arrested at the scene. But he could face criminal charges after a thorough investigation is conducted by the VIPD Animal Cruelty Investigator.
The injured man had apparently reported the presence of the neighbor’s pit bulls in his yard on numerous occasions to police, but nothing was done about the dogs prior to the attack.
The pit bulls were again in the elderly man’s unfenced yard when they viciously attacked him.
“That is very tragic,” Trevor Velinor commented today to the Virgin Islands Free Press.
