Pit Bulls Viciously Attack California Animal Control Officer, 1 Canine Missing

An animal control officer in California was hospitalized with severe injuries to his leg after he was viciously attacked by a pair of pit bulls.

The officer, identified as Michael Cox from the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, responded to Mount Vernon Avenue on Tuesday morning after receiving reports of four dogs roaming around in the area, NBC Los Angeles reported.

When the officer approached the canines, they initially seemed friendly. However, one of the dogs latched onto his right leg soon, puncturing it. Within seconds, another pit bull also started viciously biting the officer, who then used a retractable baton and pepper spray to protect himself.

Paramedics were called to the scene, and Cox was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. He is expected to make a full recovery.

"Three of the four dogs were impounded. The fourth — one of the two that had attacked the officer — managed to break through a gate and escaped into the nearby hills," Agency spokesman John Welsh said, ABC 7 reported.

He added the impounded dogs were found to be microchipped. Their owner, who is apparently a homeless woman, was being sought for questioning. The name of the owner was not released.

Speaking about the incident, Department of Animal Services Cmdr. Chris Mayer said, "We go into dangerous situations all the time, but we're trained to know the warning signs of aggressive dogs. In this incident, Mike didn't have any time to react. We're thankful the attacks weren't worse."

The whereabouts of the fourth dog that went missing after the attack were unknown, and authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Department of Animal Services at 951-358-7387, or the Riverside Police Department, 951-354-2007.

Earlier this month, an elderly Florida couple was taken to a hospital after they were attacked by their pet pit bull. When rescue crews responded to the scene, they found the pit bull attacking the husband. The officers used a taser to stop the canine and were able to chase it into a bathroom, where they locked the pet. While the wife had puncture wounds on her neck, the husband suffered bite wounds on his right arm, chest and puncture wounds on his back and neck.