Thursday evening, a neighbor and responsible Pit Bull owner was walking her dog, on-leash, accompanied by her 8 year old son. As they approached the southern end of Riverside Place, 2 pit bulls broke out of their front gate and attacked the on-leash dog directly in front of the Pit Bulls' house. The street where the incident occurred is about 12-14’ wide with no sidewalks.
Even after the owners came out of the house trying to restrain their dogs, one broke free and charged down the street after the woman walking briskly away with her still on-leash dog. With lightning speed, it attacked the dog a second time (verified on video from a neighbor). Neither the woman nor her son were bitten, but their dog required emergency surgery. She filed a report with the LA City Dept of Animal Services.
Similar Behavior Pattern
Last
week’s incident was so similar to the August 2015 attack, when 2 off-leash Pit Bulls, from the same house on Riverside Place, attacked my on-leash dog. Once the owners “had
a hold of their dogs,” they broke free and attacked another woman’s dog, 75' down the path in Red Car Canyon. We both reported the incident to Animal Services, no action was taken.
Small Dog Killed in 2020
After the neighbor in Thursday’s incident posted a warning to Next Door, she was contacted by a Red Car Property neighbor who’s Chihuahua was killed by one of the same Riverside Place owner's Pit Bulls in April 2020. At the time, the dangerous Pit Bull was on-leash and dragged its owner across Lake View Ave, attacking the on-leash Chihuahua. The small dog died at the animal hospital as a result of the attack. (Note: I’d heard this story last year, but could not verify it.)
Again, a report was made to Animal Services and no action taken.
I know there was another incident in the past few years on Riverside Place, where the same Pit Bulls broke out of their gate and attacked an on-leash small dog, walked by a woman pushing a baby stroller. The neighbor who told me of the incident, also implored the woman to make a report to Animal Services because this is an unacceptable recurrence.
In fact, all the nearby neighbors have multiple stories of the dangerous dogs from the same house on Riverside Place. We've documented incidents with Animal Services. Several Riverside Place neighbors have told me, "Those dogs have terrorized the neighborhood for years."
Make no mistake, it is terrifying to be on the receiving end of a Pit Bull attack. Most people say, "I just won't walk there anymore." This is not a practical solution. It can happen anywhere to anyone. These dogs have incredible speed and strength. I often witnessed the same 2 dogs racing down the Red Car Property, toward the 2 Freeway, frequently with no owner in sight (prior to, and after the attack on my dog).
You are responsible for your dog at all times, both on and off your property.
Not all Pit Bulls are bad. I know many well behaved pit bulls with responsible owners. You need to do your homework before you adopt any dog, especially if you are adopting a dog built breed built like a tank. They are not suitable for everyone.
I wrote an extensive piece with lessons learned in the attack on my dog, with useful links to resources on preparing yourself as a Pit Bull owner and what to do to break up an attack: Corralitas Red Car Property: August 27, 2015
If you or your dog are attacked by another dog in the City of Los Angeles, report it to LA Department of Animal Services.
