Woman Attacked By Own Dog Listed In Serious Condition: Police

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — A 29-year-old woman was hospitalized in serious condition Thursday after being attacked by her own dog, police said. Officers responded at about 8:45 a.m. Thursday to a residential property in the 1600 block of Kentucky Street, where a neighbor had called police because they heard a woman screaming for help from her backyard, Fairfield police Lt. Greg Hurlbut said in a news release.

"The caller believed the woman was the neighbor and when they looked over their own fence could see a woman on the ground and appeared to be under attack from a large dog," Hurlbut said. "Officers were immediately dispatched to the location as updates were provided by the neighbor as to the serious nature of the dog attack."

Once on scene, the neighbor directed officers to a fence close to where the attack took place.

"The house in question has an unusually large yard, almost a full acre in size, and the attack was occurring in the farthest reach of the yard away from the home and street," Hurlbut said.

The officers saw woman lying face down and bleeding profusely from both arms with a large dog standing over her, Hurlbut said.

The dog, noticing the officers' presence, charged the fence where they stood, the lieutenant said.

Fearing for their safety and that of the woman who appeared already badly injured, Hurlbut said, one officer fired his handgun at the dog, killing it.

Emergency medical aid was then provided to the woman, who was determined to be suffering from life-threatening injuries. She was taken by ambulance to a local trauma center, and then flown by helicopter to a surgical center in the Bay Area where she was listed in serious condition, Hurlbut said.

Police confirmed the woman lived at the residence and that the dog appeared to be her own animal.

Police determined the woman was attacked by the dog when she opened a kennel to give it water. Police noted it was a large kennel structure and appeared to house several dogs of a similar breed.

Hurlbut could not immediately say the breed of the dog, referring further questions to Solano Humane Animal Services which is investigating the incident.

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