MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dogs that are not on a leash are a major problem in Memphis, according to the Humane Society.
One man was sent to the hospital after he was attacked by two pit bulls in Whitehaven.
You don’t have to drive far to find dogs roaming the streets in Memphis.
Kimberley Wooten said it’s common in her neighborhood, where police say a man was attacked by two pit bulls Thursday.
“I came and got my broom, went outside and swat at the little tan one and they kind of just ran off and I brought him inside and called police and the ambulance,” she said.
Wooten said she sees the pit bulls all the time on her street but told WREG they don’t normally leave the yard. This time was a different story.
“I saw the arm injury, one of them was kind of hanging on his arm a little bit so I’m not sure to what extent it was, I did see the bite marks and he was bleeding, but hopefully he’s going to be OK,” Wooten explained.
Generally when you see a pit bull, your first instinct is probably to run, but at the Humane Society they’re saying that’s a bad idea.
“Put your body so you’re not dead-on with the dog, don’t make direct eye contact with the dog, never push a dog into a corner, never force a dog to interact with you,” said Katie Pemberton with the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County.
Pemberton said it’s also important to pay attention to a dog’s body language.
“So that can be licking their lips, that can be turning their head to the side, that can be opening their eyes really wide so you can see the whites of their eyes,” she explained.
Memphis does have a leash law, but some want tougher penalties for violations.
There have been 111 animal injury reports, mostly from dog bites, so far this year, police said.
