Elderly Woman Attacked by Neighbor’s Dog

An elderly woman is recalling the scary moment when she was attacked by her neighbor’s dog.

Details of the Attack

Yvonne Randle was bitten in the face by one of her neighbor’s pets in her front yard in Houston, Texas, on the evening of Wednesday, March 26, ABC 13 Eyewitness News reported. 

Experience of the Attack

Randle, 76, told the outlet she was “knocked down” by the dog while she “was trying to reach on the ground [to] pick up something out of the flower bed.” She said the canine then began “gnawing” on her chin.

“He was trying to get my throat, and I said, ‘Oh my God. This dog’s gonna kill me,’ ” Randle told ABC 13 Eyewitness News, which reported the dog also bit the woman’s hand and broke her thumb.

Reaction and Rescue

Surveillance footage obtained by the outlet shows two dogs running toward Randle on her front lawn, with one of them moving closer to her as she jumps back. Moments later, the dogs’ owner can be seen running over from across the street to help, before carrying the dog back home in his arms.

• Randle’s son Damien, who lives next door, raced over to help after he was alerted of the attack by his mother’s screams.
• He told ABC 13 Eyewitness News, “If nobody was out here and if I didn’t hear her from in there, it could have been a very, very, very, very different day.”

Follow-Up Actions

A day later, workers with the BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions unit visited the dog owner’s home, and after a discussion that lasted an hour, he handed the animal over to be placed in quarantine, the outlet reported. 

The shelter claimed that the Houston Police Department (HPD) did not notify them of the incident until the following day. The HPD said they did notify BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions, however, per ABC 13 Eyewitness News.

Lack of License and Safety Measures

According to the outlet, the dog owner does not have a dog license and was cited by police, along with failing to secure the dog. 

“When they out loose, put a leash on them so they can control them. Don’t just let them run. ‘Cause I’ve seen the dog all over the neighborhood,” said Randle. 

Request for Comments

The BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions and the HPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, March 29.

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