Pit Bull Attack: Man says he called 911 but help took more than an hour

How long is too long to wait for help after calling 911?

A Dona Ana County man said he waited more than an hour after two dogs attacked him and his pets, and he wants to warn people about his experience.

In the 911 call, Kershaw told the dispatcher two pit bulls entered his yard and started attacking his dogs. The dogs also bit him.

“It was just horrific,” Kershaw told ABC-7. “I looked out the door and saw just our four dogs and these two pit bulls going at them.”

He said he was eventually able to grab his dogs and bring them inside. He said one of his dogs had pretty deep puncture wounds. He called 911, with the alleged attackers still standing outside his door. He then waited for help. 45 minutes later, no one had arrived.

“It was 45 minutes and then they called me back,” Kershaw said.

The 911 dispatchers once again called Kershaw to let him know the animal control officer was about 20-30 minutes away.

“He’s coming from Chaparral, he’s the only one working right now,” the dispatcher said.

“Can they send a deputy or something?” Kershaw is heard saying over the phone. “These dogs are still in our yard, on our porch and we need to get these dogs to a vet.”

A deputy was then dispatched to his home and the situation was taken care of.

Vicki Lusk, with Dona Ana County Animal Control, said because it was a county holiday on Dec. 30, the day Kershaw called, there was only one deputy on duty.

Lusk said that officer was on another priority call, 45 minutes away in Chaparral. She said the department is short-staffed, but usually there are at least 2-4 officers on duty. She said this situation would not have happened, had it not been a holiday.

“On any given day if they see it’s a priority call they’re going to drop what they’re doing and go to that call,” Lusk said.

Executive Director of the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority Hugo Costa said the center followed proper procedure by dispatching animal control first, not deputies. He said deputies do not carry the equipment required for animal calls.

Lusk suggested callers be as specific as possible when calling 911, such as asking for an ambulance, if you need further assistance.

Kershaw remembers that agonizing wait to be able to get out of the home and take his dogs to the vet.

“My heart was pumping, the adrenaline was going,” he said. “I thought we were going to be dealing with dead dogs.”

Kershaw said the neighborhood has dealt with dead dogs in the past. He said those same dogs killed another dog a few weeks before attacking him. After his attack, Kershaw went through the legal process of getting the dogs deemed dangerous. They’ve since been euthanized.