Two brothers mauled when pet dog turns aggressive while playing, Texas officials say

A pet dog mauled two brothers at a Houston-area home, then was shot and killed by first responders, Texas officials say.

Deputies responded to the home in the Highlands community at about 7 a.m. Aug. 30, after two men were attacked by an aggressive dog, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a news release.

When first responders arrived, the dog was loose outside the home, Gonzalez said.

A sergeant with the sheriff’s office ultimately killed the dog, as it was blocking the door when EMS workers were trying to take the injured men from the home and to the hospital, officials told KTRK.

“Bottom line is, we know the dog was aggressive. It had attacked two individuals, critically injuring one. And so, our priority is human life over all situations,” Lt. Al Blenderman told the outlet. “And so, the sergeant, the supervisor, took appropriate action to make sure we got the individual to the hospital to get medical care.”

According to family members, the brothers were playing with the dog when it suddenly turned aggressive, the sheriff’s office told KHOU.

The dog, which they had bought three months ago from a neighbor, mauled one brother in the face and neck and bit the other in the leg, the outlet reported.

Both men are hospitalized in stable condition, officials told the station.

This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Two brothers mauled when pet dog turns aggressive while playing, Texas officials say."