Disabled El Paso woman says emotional support dog killed trying to protect her

A disabled El Paso woman told ABC-7 one of her emotional support dogs was killed while trying to protect her from another group of dogs Monday afternoon.

Mary Herman told ABC-7 she was walking her dogs, Mickey and Minnie, in her neighborhood and a neighbor’s dogs got out of the yard and attacked her and her two dogs. The dogs that attacked Herman’s dogs were a Cane Corso and two dachshunds, an Animal Control report states.

“It happened so fast, I tried to call 911, but they knocked it (the phone) out of my hands. I rolled around and struggled with the dogs because they were grabbing us,” Herman said in tears. “The dog jumped at me and my dog tried to save me, and the dog just crushed him in front of me. He died in my arms.”

Herman told ABC-7 she let Minnie off of the leash so she could run away. Minnie ended up in the animal hospital with a couple of puncture wounds.

Animal control did respond to the attack, but Herman said they did not quarantine the dogs.

According to Animal Service Director Paula Powell, a quarantine order was issued to the owner of the Cane Corso the same day of the attack because Herman was puntured by the dog.

The owner quarantined the dog and requested it be euthenized.

The day after the qattack, Hermain filed an affidavit requesting the two dachshunds be quarantined, which Powell said they are investigating.

According to El Paso County Animal Regulations section 14, when a dog bites or scratches a human, the owner is immediately required to quarantine the dog for ten days in an animal control facility or a veteranarian hospital on the owner’s expense.

During quarantine, the dog is checked for rabies.