SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — A Southaven Animal Shelter employee and animal control officer are recovering from dog bite wounds Tuesday.
Southaven Animal Shelter Director Perry Mason confirmed the dog attack happened Saturday, and one of the workers has remained in the hospital.
Mason said the shelter employee opened up a pitbull’s kennel to clean it and feed him.
“He grabbed her leg and just would not let go,” Mason said.
An officer who was working ran to help.
He pulled the dog off the employee’s leg, but not before the dog bit him too on the left forearm.
Mason said the dog’s aggressive behavior came out of nowhere.
“He’s been neutered. We have all taken him for walks. He has sat in the office. We have done everything humanly possible to predict his behavior,” Mason said.
The employee who the dog bit in the leg has undergone a couple surgeries.
She was still in the hospital at the time WREG interviewed Mason Tuesday.
To those who wonder if this was an issue of improper training, Mason said both employees have vicious dog training certificates.
Staff did not expect this kind of behavior from the pitbull.
They told WREG he is an approximately two-year-old stray dog and has been at the shelter for more than two months.
Staff originally picked up the dog on Church Road.
Mason said he has been here nine years and has never had an incident like this.
He said he is speaking with veterinarians and behaviorists to try to figure out what might have triggered this.
WREG also spoke over the phone briefly with the Animal Control Officer who said he is doing okay. He is out of the hospital.
