San Francisco family furious after 4-year-old son attacked by dog ​​- owners walk away

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — In San Francisco, a stray dog ​​attacked and bit a little boy, sending him to the hospital. Now his parents are asking the police to investigate the incident and the dog’s owners to come forward.

It was unprovoked and unexpected. Surveillance video shows the seconds before a four-year-old boy is attacked by a dog while walking home with his nanny in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco.

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

The nanny called the mother in a panic as the boy screamed and bled on the sidewalk. In the video, the dog owners can be seen preventing their unleashed dog from further attacking the boy while they try to get the dog under control.

The nanny said the couple returned to their table to finish their meal and did not apologize or leave their contact information.

“I couldn’t believe this happened to my son. I was shocked and heartbroken and wished it had happened to me and not him. A mother’s job is to protect her child and in this situation there is nothing I could have done to protect him,” the boy’s mother said.

MORE: Heartbroken San Juan man seeks justice after surveillance video shows dog killing cat

It has now been almost two weeks since the attack. The family wants to keep their identities secret but has decided to speak out in the hope of finding the couple in the video.

Luz Pena: “What is your message to dog owners?”

“This must never happen again to my son or to any other children or to anyone or to any other dogs. This simply cannot happen again, this is not acceptable. These people must be held accountable,” said the boy’s mother.

A day after the attack, the mother went back to the area to look for answers. She found a surveillance video, which she turned over to the police after

“When I reported the incident to the police, we had no information about the owners and I think they made it clear that they did not have great expectations of the investigation,” said the boy’s mother.

The San Francisco Police Department said the attack is being investigated by the Vicious Dangerous Dog Unit.

MORE: Parole denied for Marjorie Knoller, convicted in notorious 2001 San Francisco dog bite case

“Dogs that are so confident that they will chase, run at and bite without any provocation are dogs that have an aggressive attitude and usually have demonstrated this in the past,” says Ron Berman, an expert on dog and cat bites.

The executive director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control described the couple’s actions as illegal.

“Horrible. The whole thing could have been prevented if the dog had been on a leash. There is a leash law in this city. The dog should have been on a leash. Second, dog owners are required by law to give the victim, or in this case the nanny, contact information. Name, phone number, address. That information is required by law,” said Virginia Donohue, executive director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control.

If the owners are found, the city will decide the dog’s fate during a court hearing.

“They will decide if the dog is deemed vicious and dangerous. That may come with special restrictions. That may come with special licenses and different measures that ensure or try to ensure that the dog does not reoffend,” Donohue said. “If you are vicious and dangerous, there is special registration. You have to put a sign on your house and then the hearing officer can set other restrictions. For example, you have to be on a leash at all times or wear a muzzle.”

In the meantime, the boy’s mother hopes her efforts will protect others as she tries to explain what happened to her son.

MORE: San Francisco woman’s 15-year-old Maltipoo bitten to death by another dog while out walking, owner runs away

“He asked me, ‘Why did a big white dog hurt me?’ It broke my heart because he hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t understand. He’s just an innocent little boy and very nice. I said, ‘Dogs are really nice animals, but sometimes there are bad people and bad dogs. This has nothing to do with you. You did everything right. You’re a good boy,'” the mother said.

SFPD statement:

On May 23, 2024 at around 4:00 p.m., a caller called the North Station to file a report of a dog bite incident.

The reporting party advised that on 05/22/2024, at approximately 5:05 p.m., their adolescent child was attacked by a dog near the 2700 block of Lombard Street while walking with a caregiver. The child was later transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The reporting party stated that the other parties involved did not provide identification or contact information at the time of the incident.

This is currently under active investigation by the Vicious Dangerous Dog Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text TIP411 and begin the message with “SFPD.” You can remain anonymous.

The San Francisco Police Department has a dedicated unit that investigates incidents involving dogs displaying threatening and/or aggressive behavior. For more information about the San Francisco Police Department’s Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit (VDDU), visit: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/stay-safe/safety-tips/dangerous-dogs.