[bloodrayne]

Pit Bull Viciously Attacks Man

An unidentified man is critical after dog bites off his genitals; animal on the loose

Police and Animal Control Services are looking for a dangerous dog that seriously injured a man.

The man remained in critical condition Monday night at the University of New Mexico Hospital, Detective Jeff Arbogast, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said.

"The dog is a brown, pit bull-boxer mix, is what it looks like," Arbogast said. "The guy was found missing his genitals. We don't know who he is or where he lives."

Neighbors saw the man playing with the dog earlier in the day near Susie Rayos Marmon Elementary School, 6401 Iliff Road N.W., Arbogast said.

About 1:20 p.m. Monday, police were called to the scene when workers from a mowing service found the man unconscious, naked and bleeding on a yard near the school, he said.

"The lawn crew hit the dog with a pipe, causing it to yelp and run away," Arbogast said. "When police arrived, the man woke up and started running away from the officers. They had to take him into custody so he could get treatment."

Arbogast added he had no idea why the man was naked or why the dog bit him, but added, "I think there's a little more to this whole thing than we know."

The school was locked down for an hour-and-a-half while police searched for the dog. Students were escorted home at 3:00 p.m., Arbogast said.

Gov. Bill Richardson released a statement after hearing about the incident, touting legislation he is proposing with tough penalties for owners of dangerous dogs.

"There are serious gaps in the law when it comes to attacks by dangerous dogs," Richardson said. "We must hold the owners of dangerous dogs accountable for controlling their pets."

There are no state laws to prevent or punish attacks by dangerous dogs, except when dogs attack livestock. The proposed legislation would make owners confine such dogs, license the animals and make the owners responsible for the dog's behavior, the statement said.

Anyone who sees the dog should stay away from it and call police or animal control, Arbogast said.

"We've all heard of problems with pit bulls for many years, and there are certainly concerns about their aggressive natures," Arbogast said. "I can't say every one of them is like that, but we've seen a lot of reports of injuries."