Additional Coverage:
A 17-year-old girl endured a horrific dog attack while jogging near her Southern California home, requiring over 500 stitches.
Tracy Azpeitia was attacked by a pack of 16 dogs shortly after 8 a.m. while running near Newberry Road in a remote desert area. The dogs, believed to be owned by a nearby resident, were neither leashed nor contained. San Bernardino County Animal Control has seized all of the animals.
According to sheriff’s officials, the dogs inflicted severe bites on Tracy’s arms and legs, causing significant lacerations and tissue damage. When her mother, Maria Azpeitia, arrived at the scene, she described her daughter as “unrecognizable,” covered in dirt, with severe bite wounds to her arms.
Despite the trauma, Tracy maintained her composure, asking her mother, “Mom, am I still pretty?” Her mother reassured her, “Yes, you are beautiful.”
Tracy’s stepfather, Carlos Ramírez, emphasized the severity of the attack, noting the large number of dogs involved. He stated the dogs bit “every part of her body you could think of except for her ankles.” Maria Azpeitia expressed shock at the incident, saying she never anticipated such an event as her daughter regularly walks to the bus stop without incident.
Tracy is currently receiving treatment, including physical therapy, at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital.