‘He was literally yelling for his life.’ Cops kill dog to save California man

Patricia Ochoa says she and her mother tried everything to help a 40-year-old neighbor attacked in his back yard Monday morning by a loose dog, KNTV reported.

“My mom got the hose trying to distract the dog with the water but nothing helped,” Ochoa said, according to KGO. “We threw a knife so he could try to use it, but I think the dog had already broken one of his arms.”

Police in Daly City, California, say officers shot and killed the dog to end the 7 a.m. attack, KPIX reported. The 40-year-old man is listed in critical but stable condition, police said.

“It was awful,” Ochoa said, KGO reported. “We felt like we couldn’t do anything for him. He was literally yelling for his life asking for help and we couldn’t get to him.”

The loose dog had gotten into the man’s back yard through a hole in the fence, according to the station. Ochoa said the dog, which belonged to another neighbor, had not shown aggressive behavior in the past.

Police are interviewing the dog’s owner, The Mercury News reported.

In nearby Vallejo, three dogs mauled a 47-year-old woman and her 3-year-old son Friday night as neighbors also tried to assist, McClatchy reported earlier. Neighbor Dorris Hutcherson called it “the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Vallejo police eventually drove the dogs off the woman and child with pepper spray. Both are in stable condition.

This story was originally published April 8, 2019 at 4:34 PM with the headline "‘He was literally yelling for his life.’ Cops kill dog to save California man."