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Residents in the Montecito Estates neighborhood are afraid to leave their homes after multiple attacks from aggressive dogs.
People are asking their HOA and Animal Welfare to step up and find a solution.
“I hate feeling like a hostage in my own home,” Laura Solomon said.
According to multiple security camera videos throughout the neighborhood, a tan-looking pit bull is seen attacking children.
One video shows two young boys riding scooters when the dog attacks. The boys jump off their scooters, screaming for help as they try to run back inside the home.
Another person sent photos to our KOAT newsroom of the aftermath of her dog being mauled by the pit bull.
Her medical bills totaled more than $1,400. According to Animal Welfare reports, these incidents date all the way back to May 2022.
“It’s been almost a year since these dogs have gotten loose in our neighborhood and just wreaked complete havoc. Pets are being mauled or attacked. Young kids are being chased into their houses,” Solomon said.
Down the street, Amanda Bearce recalls her incident when she encountered the dog after it attacked another pet in the neighborhood.
“Very bloody, like literally. And it was very creepy. He rat ran up to my husband with that big smile,” Bearce said. “You knew something had to have happened because of just the amount of blood that there was. It was pretty intense. And our kids saw it too and were so freaked out by the amount of blood.”
We reached out to Montecito Estates HOA. They released this statement that reads in part:
“The board of directors is aware of two incidents involving the aggressive behavior of dogs. There were no serious injuries and both incidents were promptly reported to the city of Albuquerque animal welfare department. Montecito Estates HOA has no authority to ban, seize or expel personal pets as they are the private property of their owner.”
Animal Welfare says they cannot comment on the case as it’s still being investigated.
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