Pack of dogs attacks boy in east Houston park

Boy expected to survive after attack

HOUSTON – A young boy was attacked by a pack of dogs Thursday in an east Houston park. As the victim is recovering, animal control officers used tranquilizer guns to capture and remove the dogs.

Houston police said the attack happened at around 4 p.m. Thursday as the boy was walking through Pleasant Manor Park near Munn Street and Pearl.

T.L. Thomas said he was driving home when he saw the dogs pounce and the little boy fall to the ground.

"He just kept screaming for mommy. Simultaneously as I'm getting closer and yelling they scattered," said Thomas. "It had to be at least nine dogs but I want to say it was more. I noticed a lot of blood."

Soon police were at the scene and an ambulance arrived to take the boy to a local hospital. He is expected to survive.

"He was really in pain. They had him on a stretcher. They had bandaged up his arms and bandaged his legs up," said Rodney Rogers.

Diana Maldonado said just minutes before the dogs attacked the little boy the same pack came after her and her mother. She said this wasn't the first time.

"I got scared. I tried running but then I was like, no, they are going to chase me and I told my mom let's just walk slowly just in case," said Maldonado.

On Friday morning, Local 2 rode along with animal control officers as they searched the east Houston neighborhood just south of I-10. Animal control officers shot several dogs with tranquilizer guns to safely capture them near Holland Middle School and in the park where the boy was attacked.. They used the female in heat to get the others.

"We're going to tie her up out here and see if we can attract the rest of them to come along and see if we can tranquilize them as we go," said Jarrad Mears, with Animal Control.

It worked. They rounded up one after another dog making the streets of this neighborhood just a little safer.

"I don't want them in my yard for one thing. And the next thing is they are dangerous. We have a few kids living in here. Kids go back and forth to school in there," said neighbor Martha Solomon.

While the people who live in the neighborhood say they are sorry this happened, they are thankful this pack of dogs is off of the streets.

Police tell Local 2 they expect the teenage victim to be OK.