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Police say pit bull involved in attack was ‘acting on fatherly instincts’

Posted at 5:48 PM, Oct 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-13 18:16:10-04

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. – A litter of American pit bull terriers is comfortably housed at Colonial Heights shelter, not too far from their dad, who is being held in quarantine after an attack that injured two.

Around 8:30 Thursday morning, neighbors like Larry Fulcher woke up to a police presence in their area.

“I heard sirens, so I got up and come out on my front porch and there they were,” Fulcher said.

Colonial Heights Police, Animal Control and the Fire Department all responded to a home on Layfayette Avenue.

The puppies aren't up for adoption right now

The puppies aren't up for adoption right now

Police said the initial call was for someone injured. Once on scene, first responders soon discovered that a man and woman had been bitten by a male dog in the home.

Fulcher said he saw a man being carried out on a stretcher. Police said both the man and woman suffered extensive injuries.

Sources told CBS 6 this all stemmed from some sort of argument between the two people. The dog bit the man after he got too close to the puppies, according to sources.

When the woman tried to stop it, she was also bit and the two had to run upstairs to get away.

Police couldn’t confirm if that happened, but said the dog was acting on fatherly instincts.

The father has been quarantined. No word on the mother.

The father has been quarantined. No word on the mother.

The fire department said the woman escaped through the second floor window to get away from the dog.

Fire crews found her in the back room, and had to help her get down.

Flucher said he saw animal control take nine puppies and the adult dog from the house.

“I didn’t even know they had the dogs until today,” Fulcher said.

The adult dog is in quarantine at the Colonial Heights Animal Shelter, which is standard procedure, police said.

The puppies were also taken to the shelter, but staff wants people to know that they are not up for adoption, right now, because they were taken since no one was home.

No criminal report has been filed. Police are still investigating.

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