One woman was hospitalized and her Husky was put down on Tuesday night after an attack by a group of dogs in Highland, Indiana, according to police.
Sarah Denton was heading home from dog sitting when she saw the attack unfold in the 3500 block of Jewett Street.
“We started hearing just a ton of dogs barking, we heard howling dogs, crying, people, yelling,” she said.
Around eight to 10 American Bully breed dogs escaped from a fenced backyard and attacked a woman and her dog who were walking in the area, police said. Several good Samaritans tried to stop the attack, and in the middle of the chaos, a man with a gun came over and shot and killed one of the dogs, according to witnesses.
“This is the worst thing that I have ever seen that was animal related at all,” Denton told NBC Chicago. “As it was progressing, I kept seeing how many dogs were there—it felt like ants trying to pile on top of something. There were just so many, and they were just everywhere.”
The owner of the Husky was been identified by her attorney as 28-year-old Amber Neyhart, who ended up with 52 stitches. Her dog, a white Husky named Coco, had to be euthanized due to the severity of injuries.
Investigators said three other women who stepped in to help had injuries to their arms and legs from being bitten.
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“I’m just upset at the whole situation. It’s something that was very avoidable.. Just properly care for their pets and watch them,” Denton said.
According to a police report obtained by NBC Chicago, one of the witnesses told police this was not the first time that the dogs had gotten out. She said it occurred four or five other times, and in each instance, they were walked back home.
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“I think we need to do better for our community we need to make sure that people are doing what’s right for the community and their pets," Denton said.
Highland police said the remaining dogs were returned to the owner and the matter remained under investigation. NBC 5 reached out to police for further information about why the dogs were returned. As of Thursday night, police said charges were pending against the owner of the dogs.
