A woman who suffered life-threatening injuries in a pit bull attack in SF's Tenderloin two weeks ago said she was watching the dog for an owner she barely knew, and she wants him to come forward.
Amber King is still recovering from the severe injuries she suffered when a pit bull attacked her in the Tenderloin nearly two weeks ago. King told ABC 7 that the dog pinned her down and attacked her for 10 to 15 minutes while she screamed for help, leaving her with extensive injuries to both arms and hands.
She also told the outlet that she used her arms to protect herself and spent a week at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital undergoing multiple surgeries.
“I was going to die. If I didn't fight, I was going to die,” King said, speaking to ABC 7. “I kept hearing the crunching sound of the dog biting me.”
She is now reportedly beginning to regain some movement in the fingers of her right hand, while she said her left hand remains severely damaged. King also said she continues to relive the attack and has been struggling with nightmares.
According to ABC 7, King, who is homeless, said she had been waiting for city housing in the Tenderloin when the man, whom she barely knew, asked her to watch his dog while he moved. She said she tied the animal to a post but does not know how it got loose.
King said she wants the dog’s owner to step up and take responsibility for the incident. The San Francisco Police Department said no one has been held accountable for the attack, and it remains unclear whether investigators have identified the owner.
A friend of King’s has since launched a fundraiser to help with her recovery. According to an update on the fundraiser, King is now out of the hospital, but she’s unable to use either of her arms, requiring 24-hour care to assist with every-day activities.
While it’s unclear whether the dog’s owner was homeless, the attack has prompted Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, whose district covers the Tenderloin, to propose new dog safety requirements for San Francisco housing sites that allow pets, as ABC 7 reported last week.
“What we are finding is that a lot of these incidents tend to be concentrated around shelter, permanent supportive housing,” Mahmood said.
His resolution would require those sites to keep registration and vaccination records for dogs and report bites and attacks to police and through the city’s Good Neighbor complaint system.
According to KPIX, Mahmood said the proposal is focused on accountability and safety, particularly as residents have reported concerns about dogs in the Tenderloin. Data from city officials shows that more than 20% of the city’s reported dog attacks over the past month have occurred in the neighborhood.
Mahmood’s resolution would also call for continued funding and staffing for the city’s vicious and dangerous dog court, which reportedly resumed in June after being largely suspended for 10 months due to budget and staffing shortages.
The proposal has reportedly drawn concerns that additional requirements could make it harder for unhoused people with pets to access shelter or housing.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the resolution Tuesday, with enforcement likely to begin next year if it passes.
Previously: Vicious Dog Attack In SF’s Tenderloin Leaves Woman With Traumatic Injuries
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