Harris County sheriff's deputies responded a call about aggressive animals around 7 a.m. in the 3500 block of Doherty Place.
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Deputies said an elderly man who lives in the neighborhood saw the dogs in the street and tried to get them out of the rain.
The dogs, which deputies said were pit bulls, were friendly at first. A neighbor told ABC13 the man was petting the dogs and their tails were wagging. Then, things took a turn.
"Apparently the dogs just turned on him for no apparent reason," Sgt. Billy Johnson with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.
A good Samaritan passing through the neighborhood saw the attack and tried to intervene, deputies said. Then, the dogs turned on him, too.
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When a deputy arrived, he also tried to intervene, but the dogs attacked him too, Johnson said. The deputy shot and killed both of the dogs.
The elderly man sustained severe injuries to his limbs, Johnson said. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. In a later update, deputies said the man is now stable and is expected to recover.
The good Samaritan and the deputy were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
"It was a most unfortunate situation, but luckily, we still have some good people in this world, like the good Samaritan that stopped by and then the deputy who responded," Johnson said. "It could have been a much worse situation."
Johnson said witnesses didn't recognize the pit bulls and they weren't wearing collars, but the investigation whether or not they were strays is ongoing. One was a male and one was a female.
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"With the injuries involved, there may be some further investigation that may result in the dog owners being located," Johnson said. "And if that's the case, there may be charges pending later on."
Johnson had a message for other citizens who may encounter stray animals.
"What we really want to stress to citizens is for them not to try to engage these animals. If they want to put out some water or something to try and assist them in hot weather or something like that, that's OK. But to approach them and try to gain control of them, they shouldn't do that," he warned. "Especially the pit bulls and aggressive-known animals."
Instead, Johnson said citizens should contact local law enforcement or animal control.
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