Dogs allegedly attack three people including a firefighter in NW Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A firefighter and two women were injured while fighting off a dog attack in northwest Houston and the owner says he can't believe his dogs would ever be capable of such a thing.

The attack by the two dogs -- a 4-year-old chocolate lab and a 1-year-old boxer -- happened in the 5000 block of Georgi Lane in the Oak Forest neighborhood at around 7:30am Thursday just as people were leaving for work.

"As I got close to my car, the light brown one, which I haven't seen before, lunged at me and I jumped in my car as quick as I could," said resident Lynn Ringe.

Then the situation escalated. The brown boxer approached a woman and she tried to shy it away, instead it bit both her and a neighbor who came to her aid.

Both women were hospitalized and are said to have undergone surgery for bite wounds to their legs.

When police responded, a gun was fired several times at the animals who weren't struck. A paramedic was nipped by a brown lab, but his injuries were minor.

The owner of the two dogs apologized to those injured and added that he's concerned about his dogs.

"My dogs aren't aggressive dogs. I don't understand what transpired while I was asleep. Maybe if they attacked anybody they were scared because they were out. Generally they're inside dogs," said the dogs' owner Sonny Pena.

Animal control investigators were told the animals were accidentally let out of the home by a friend who was visiting.

Both dogs were later taken by the owner to animal control where they'll remain in quarantine for 10 days. If they're healthy, they'll be returned to the owner.

However, the victims could ask for a dangerous dog hearing.

"I'm not certain what the outcome or protocol could be, but that's a possibility given the nature of the injuries," said Carlene Lormand with Houston BARC.

The conditions of the female victims are unknown at this time.

Houston animal control says there is no records of the dogs having bite problems before.
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local, deborah wrigley

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