A horrified onlooker recorded a New York man as he was ‘brutally and viscously attacked’ and killed by a pack of eight to nine pit bull-type dogs.
James Provost, 59, from Schenectady, New York, was mauled to death and left with ‘several wounds’ on Wednesday in Albany around 6 pm.
Officers arrived at the scene on the 500-block of Central Avenue about three to four minutes after reports came in of a man being ‘actively attacked by several mixed breed pit bulls,’ Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said.
In an effort to stop the savage attack, an officer discharged his weapon and ‘struck one of the dogs,’ while the others scattered before a ‘caregiver’ arrived and rallied them back into the home, police said.
Hawkins revealed that a total of 24 mixed-breed male and female pit bulls were found at the residence, with 15 of them being puppies, belonging to an unnamed owner who lived in Cohoes, about 15 minutes outside of Albany.
It is unclear why Provost was in the backyard and if he had any relation to the dogs or their owner. DailyMail.com contacted the Albany Police Department for comment.
Nearby witnesses reported hearing Provost shouting for help while the dogs barked, according to CBS 6.
The dog, an adult male, that was shot by the officer died from his injuries. The other 23 pups were rounded up and placed in crates and are currently at Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.
Hawkins said the dogs were not kept in a ‘traditional family atmosphere,’ but it is unclear how the dogs were being ‘used,’ he added.
‘So many unanswered questions in this and we’re trying to sift our way through,’ Hawkins said.
Of the nine adult dogs at the scene, four had licensees, but their paperwork expired in March of this year, he explained.
Under city law, residents with dogs are supposed to register their animals annually at city hall.
None of the five- to eight week-old puppies were licensed.
There have been no previous calls or complaints at the residence regarding animals, including dogs, according to police.
A search warrant was conducted on that home in May related to drug activity, the chief said, adding that ‘several dogs were confiscated at that time’.
He clarified that the dogs were not the focus of the investigation and that they just ‘happened to be at that location’.
Four to five other people were near the scene ‘in at least one of the units,’ but it is unclear if they are connected or not.
Criminal charges against the dog owner are possible, Hawkins said. The Albany Police Department is currently investigating.
A heroic 13-year-old girl from Converse, Texas ‘made every effort possible’ to save a one-year-old boy from a pit bull but tragically was unable to prevent his death on Monday.
Jiryiah Johnson was supposed to be in the care of his babysitter, Heather Rodriguez, 36, when her pit bulls mauled him inside her home.
Rodriguez had left the child alone with her teenage daughter and the three violent dogs.
When the dogs started to attack the baby, the teenager desperately tried to protect him but ended up in a ‘tug-of-war for the baby’ with one of the dogs, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
‘She made every effort possible, even lifting that baby over her head, but my understanding is the dog climbed onto something and was able to get the baby out of her hands,’ he told KSAT.
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