EXCLUSIVE: San Francisco pet owners apologize after their dog attacks 3-year-old boy and another dog

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Only ABC7 News has new developments in the story of a three-year-old boy who was attacked by a dog in San Francisco. The incident was captured on video. ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena was able to locate the owners and speak with them.

The couple decided to speak on camera and tell their side of the story. We asked why they left without giving the boy’s nanny their contact details. They claim that’s not the whole story.

It was May 22nd around 4 p.m. – a three-year-old boy was walking next to his nanny in San Francisco when he was unexpectedly attacked by a white husky.

“Suddenly he appeared out of nowhere, charged at him, chased him, pushed him down and brutally bit him on the left arm,” said the boy’s mother.

Over a month after the attack, we tracked down the dog’s owners. We met them at a dog park. Their dog, named Max, was wearing a muzzle this time and was sitting between them.

VIDEO: San Francisco family furious after 3-year-old son attacked by dog, owners walk away

“We were scared. We couldn’t believe what had just happened because it was still a baby,” said Yolanda Marisol, Max’s owner.

In Spanish, Yolanda Marisol said they had been worried about the boy since the attack. We asked how it happened.

“He is never off leash. We never leave him off leash. We tied him to the table leg,” said Yolanda Marisol, adding: “He got loose and there was nothing we could do.”

Yolanda Marisol says she tried to talk to the nanny after the attack and offered him her contact information, but didn’t know how to say it in English.

“Freddy stayed at the table with the dog and I went to her,” Yolanda Marisol said. “I told her that I didn’t know what to do at that moment and asked: ‘I don’t speak English, can I translate on my phone?’ And all she said to me was: ‘It’s okay’ – she got in the car, locked it and drove off. I went back to the table because Freddy was waiting for me. He asked me, so what happened? What did she say? And I said: ‘Nothing, she just told me it’s okay.'”

EXCLUSIVE: Couple found in dog attack in San Francisco, three-year-old boy injured

Yolanda admitted that her dog has aggressive tendencies.

We asked if they had called the police to report the bite. “We didn’t know what to do,” said Yolanda Marisol.

It turns out that this wasn’t Max’s first attack. During our investigation, we found that Max had attacked a neighbor’s dog a year earlier.

“I went looking for him and just a few seconds later I heard him screaming downstairs and ran into the lobby,” Joey DeHaven described how he found his dog after the bite.

DeHaven filed a dog bite complaint against Max in 2023, but the city’s animal control director said they took no action because Joey did not file a report for a “vicious and dangerous dog.”

EXCLUSIVE: Dog that attacked 3-year-old in San Francisco had previously bitten another dog

“He has not requested a vicious and dangerous dog hearing, and it would be really unusual if he had. There are many dog ​​bite cases in the city that do not go to vicious and dangerous dog court,” said Virginia Donohue, executive director of San Francisco’s Animal Care. & control.

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) says the case is currently under investigation. Donohue says a hearing officer will decide the dog’s fate.

“The range of options goes from nothing to declaring the dog vicious and dangerous and demanding that it be euthanized. There are a whole range of possibilities,” Donohue said.

Meanwhile, Yolanda Marisol has a message for the boy and his family.

“I am very sorry. I know it is my responsibility for not taking care of our dog. I take responsibility,” said Yolanda Marisol. “If they want to take our dog away from us and euthanize him humanely, that is fine with us – if they want to take him away. With all my heart I hope the baby is OK and recovers. I know I can’t change what happened.”

The couple were charged with failing to leave their contact information at the scene of the accident. The average fine is $91.

A hearing is scheduled for July 8 to decide the dog’s fate.