Name: Upset sibling
Victim: Adult
Location: Walking past a neighbor’s house, Hawaii
Year of attack: 2022

Tell us about the attack

My special needs brother walks to the local convenience store everyday here in Hawaii to get snacks and drinks. He’s never had an issue before, since he knows never to stop to try and pet any animals.

On one of these occasions, my brother walked past one of the houses that had a pit bull. My brother was minding his own business when this dog barreled down his yard towards my brother. My brother tried to turn away from the dog, but got bit on the back of his knee. My brother was so upset that he went home instead of calling for help. The owner claimed he had let his pit bull off its lead for only a moment and had no idea my brother even got attacked.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
When my brother went home, my sister saw his leg covered in blood and freaked out. She had to call my mom, who had to race home from work to check on my brother. She took him to the nearest hospital. My brother had to get a tetanus shot and antibiotics. They told us he couldn’t get stitches because the wound was literally missing chunks of flesh that had to fill in on its own.

Legal Consequences
In Hawaii, if you go to the hospital for a dog attack, it’s reported to police and the humane society. They’re both legally obligated to go to the owner’s house to confiscate the dog for euthanasia. The owner felt terrible about the incident and paid for the medical bills. He said the pit bull had never done anything like that before.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
I used to think the breed wasn’t inherently bad and maybe that’s still not the case. However, I feel there’s something fishy about it for one to go out of its way to attack unprovoked. Perhaps the pit bull had a undiagnosed mental illness or something. We’ll never know. No matter why the pit bull attacked, I can’t say I’d ever get a pit bull myself. They are ticking time bombs. Unfortunately the breed is very popular here now in Hawaii, mixed or pure.