Woman Details Horrific Pit Bull Attack in San Francisco
Victim recounts the moments she thought she would die and her plea for the dog's owner to come forward.
A San Francisco woman is recovering from life-threatening injuries after being mauled by a pit bull she had agreed to watch for a man she barely knew. Amber King described the attack, which occurred in the Tenderloin neighborhood, as a near-death experience.
King stated she had tied the dog to a post when it somehow broke free and violently attacked her. "The guy was moving and he needed help. Me, I’m a helper. So I just happened to help, and I had the dog tied up. How? The dog got loose. I don’t know," King told ABC7.
She recounted the harrowing experience, saying the pit bull pinned her down and mauled her for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. "I was going to die. If I didn’t fight, I was going to die. I kept hearing the crunching sound of the dog biting me," she said.
Police responded to the incident around 9:20 a.m. on Larkin Street between Eddy and Turk streets. Officers found King severely injured and bleeding, with the blood-covered dog still in the vicinity. Video footage captured a bystander attempting to intervene before an officer was able to restrain the animal with a catch pole. The pit bull later died at the scene before Animal Care & Control arrived.
King was hospitalized for a week at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries. Nearly two weeks after the attack, she described her left hand as "completely damaged," with significant injury to every nerve and bone. She is undergoing physical therapy, referring to the process of regaining movement in her fingers as "baby steps."
King, who is homeless, said the attack continues to haunt her, leading to nightmares that prevent her from sleeping. She also expressed gratitude for the bystander, identified as Ashley, who attempted to help during the assault. The two have since spoken by phone.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the dog's death and behavior. Initial reports indicated investigators were examining whether an underlying medical condition or exposure to a foreign substance could have contributed to the dog's actions. No definitive cause has been determined.
King has appealed for the dog's owner to come forward. San Francisco police have stated that no one has been held accountable for the attack, and it remains unclear if the owner has been identified.