Portland police shot a family dog on Monday after the animal attacked multiple people inside a Southeast Portland home, according to authorities. Officers were called just before 3 p.m. to a residence on SE Stark Street near SE 136th Avenue, where they arrived to find the dog still in the middle of the attack.
According to KOIN, Portland police said the dog “was still attacking when officers arrived,” and officers opened fire on the animal to stop the assault. The outlet reported that what triggered the attacks was not yet clear, and that investigators and animal-control partners were expected to follow up.
Police response at the scene
Officers and emergency medical personnel treated multiple people at the home, though authorities have not released details on how many were hurt or how severe the injuries were. The incident, in the SE Stark and SE 136th area, drew a noticeable police presence in the neighborhood.
When a dog seriously injures people in Oregon, law-enforcement and animal-control officers may impound the animal and open a dangerous-dog investigation under state law. The Oregon Revised Statutes outline officers’ authority to seize animals and describe the criminal offense of “maintaining a dangerous dog” for owners who are criminally negligent; see the Oregon Revised Statutes.
How common are serious attacks
Dog bites are relatively common nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates roughly 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the U.S., with about 800,000 people needing medical attention. Those numbers help explain why first responders and animal-control teams treat violent dog attacks as urgent public-safety incidents…