As reported by the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, a Texas man was fatally mauled by his own dogs on Sunday evening despite a neighbor’s desperate attempt to save him. Multiple local outlets have also reported the incident.
Deputies were called around 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 to a home in unincorporated Bacliff after witnesses reported a brutal dog attack. When they arrived, they found two pit bull–type dogs viciously attacking their owner in his yard.
Authorities said one of the animals was still clamped onto the man’s arm when officers reached the scene. “In an effort to stop the attack and protect the victim, a deputy discharged his firearm, striking the dog in the center mass,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. The dog finally released its grip and went away to a corner of the yard.
The victim, identified as 45-year-old Jose “Eddie” Castillo, was rushed to HCA Houston Clear Lake hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Neighbor Jesus Excontitta said he tried frantically to rescue Castillo but couldn’t overpower the dogs. Speaking with KHOU 11, Excontitta recalled, “It was just a horrific experience for sure. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
According to KHOU 11, ABC13 Houston, and WCNC, Excontitta initially used a machete to fight off the dogs but it broke during the struggle. Undeterred, he grabbed a butcher knife and continued stabbing one of the dogs in a desperate bid to stop the attack.
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“He was crying, pleading, and I’m just, ‘Sorry, Eddie,’ and stabbing the dog and poking and poking and poking,” Excontitta told reporters, his voice breaking as he described the terrifying scene.
Excontitta’s sister, Shaine Starrett, said she immediately called 911 as the scene unfolded. “My brother had stabbed it several times with the machete and then with the butcher knife and it wouldn’t stop,” she told KHOU 11 in Texas.
Galveston County Animal Control, Texas later took custody of both pit bulls. Because of the extent of their injuries, officials confirmed the dogs were euthanized.
In its official statement, the sheriff’s office emphasized that deputies acted only when absolutely necessary. “Deputies never want to harm an animal, but in this case, immediate action was necessary in an attempt to protect the victim’s life,” the department said.
This incident once again highlights the complications and unfortunate outcomes that might happen with aggressive dogs. It is important to train one’s dogs well to ensure that no such accident happens. The Texas incident was not only unfortunate for the victim but also traumatizing for the neighbor who tried to save him and would forever remain as a scarring memory.
Moreover, while the killing of the dogs also happens to be unfortunate, given their condition and action, that was a necessary move.
