Alexandria Hendon, 35, pleaded not guilty to charges tied to a dog attack that severely injured a Portland woman.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Alexandria Hendon, 35, pleaded not guilty Monday to five misdemeanor counts of “maintaining a dangerous dog” in connection with a July 2024 attack that left a Portland mother severely injured.
Hendon was arrested Sunday on a warrant issued March 7 after prosecutors alleged her five dogs were among the eight canines that attacked Mytoka Petry at a North Portland homeless encampment on July 15.
“She’s entering a plea of not guilty on all counts in this case,” Hendon’s attorney told the court during Monday’s appearance, where a judge granted her conditional release.
According to court documents obtained by KGW, the Multnomah County District Attorney charged Hendon with five counts of maintaining a dangerous dog, a Class A misdemeanor. The information alleges that Hendon “unlawfully and with criminal negligence” failed to keep her dogs from inflicting serious harm to a person.
Hendon’s dogs were named in the documents as Dakota, Darla, Moonshine, Dozer and Aurora.
A second woman, Cierra Rene Graham, faces three similar misdemeanor charges for allegedly owning the other three dogs involved. The charging document specifies Graham as being the owner of Gemma, Annie and Daisy. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
According to an affidavit filed by a Multnomah County deputy district attorney, Petry suffered life-threatening injuries, including the loss of her left arm and ear, as well as severe disfigurement from numerous bite wounds throughout her body.
“Simply, she was walking and was attacked by a pack of dogs,” a friend of Petry’s told KGW in July 2024, shortly after the attack.
The affidavit states that Petry was visiting her brother, Charles, at his encampment near North Upland Drive and North Columbia Blvd. When the incident occurred. Portland police responded to reports of a dog mauling and learned one victim had been transported to the hospital with severe injuries.
When interviewed months later, Petry told detectives that she knew dogs lived at the camp and were never leashed during previous visits. She recalled being greeted by approximately eight dogs before they followed her into the camp and suddenly attacked, pulling her to the ground.
Petry described the dogs as being in a “frenzy” as she tried to call for help before losing consciousness.
Hospital staff had to perform CPR to restart Petry’s heart shortly after she arrived at Emanuel Hospital. An officer observed “extreme disfigurement” including large lacerations, extreme puncture wounds, and “extreme tearing damage” consistent with a dog attack.
Medical staff indicated Petry would likely lose her left arm, which was “already almost completely amputated as a result of the attack itself,” as well as one eye. She later underwent amputation of her left arm and had already lost her left ear and part of her lips from facial injuries.
In October 2024, Petry told investigators she suffered numerous lasting injuries, including numbness on the left side of her head; lacerations on her scalp; a left eye injury with part of her upper eyelid missing and vision loss; removal of her left ear; amputation of her left arm; lacerations from lip to ear; bite wounds on her right arm; infections; bite wounds to both legs with exposed tendons; various back injuries; toe bites with recurring infections; and amputation of her right big toe to the first joint.
“I can’t believe she is alive. It’s nauseating when you think about someone you love going through that. It’s really like a horror movie,” another friend told KGW in July.
Hendon identified herself to Multnomah County Animal Services in October as the owner of five dogs involved in the attack, according to Animal Control Officer Colleen Eder’s report.
All eight dogs remain in protective custody at the Multnomah County animal shelter in Troutdale. As of March 3, the Multnomah County Hearings Officer designated the county as the animals’ legal owner.
A GoFundMe campaign for Petry’s medical expenses has nearly reached its $80,000 goal to support her recovery journey, which doctors anticipate will require two to three years of ongoing physical therapy.
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