LYNN, MASS. (WHDH) - A 68-year-old man who was attacked by a pair of pit bulls in Lynn says he does not want anything to happen to the dogs that mauled him and left him with extensive injuries.
The victim, who wished to not give his name, spoke with 7NEWS from his hospital bed where he has been recovering ever since police say two pit bulls attacked him on a bike path on Sunday, Nov. 12.
“I got it good, they came after me,” he said over the phone. “The ear on the left side of my head is torn off.”
The 68-year-old told 7NEWS he had been walking along The Northern Strand trail when he got up from petting other dogs and saw the pit bulls about 25 feet away, charging at him.
Photos provided to the news station showed the dogs’ teeth marks on the victim’s nose. The 68-year-old said the top of his eyes were also scratched and that he also had deep wounds to his legs.
“I don’t know what reason they attacked me – nobody knows,” he said.
According to court paperwork, Lynn police investigating the attack later learned the pit bulls had been living inside of a nearby barbershop with signs in the windowfront stating “BEWARE OF THE DOG.”
Police detectives came across one of the dogs in the building at one point and took a photo of it, showing blood-stained fur around its mouth.
Police later got a search warrant to remove the dogs from the barbershop, explaining that the “dogs’ size, strength, and unprovoked attack [made] them an increased risk for dangerousness.” In an update this week, the Lynn Police Department said the two canines were being quarantined as their investigation continues.
“You get a dog or an animal or something brought up in a bad, bad environment – you know, there’s a tendency to be bad,” the victim said, telling 7NEWS he wishes for the dogs to recover as well.
The 68-year-old said he loves all animals, including pit bulls, and that he did not want anything to happen to the dogs that attacked him.
“Hopefully, they don’t put down the dogs and try to get them retrained or rehabilitated or something, you know what I mean?” he said. “I believe they deserve a second chance like everything, everybody else in this world.”
No one had been arrested in connection with the recent pit bull attack as of Tuesday afternoon.
Police believe the dogs belong to the owner of the barbershop, who court officials said is currently in jail in connection with a different incident also involving dogs.
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