One dog killed, another dog and two people injured in Monterey dog attack

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) A man has been cited after his two Mastiffs allegedly attacked two small dogs and two people.

Monterey police said they responded to a report of a dog attack on Cielo Vista Drive at around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, and they found that a woman had been walking her two small dogs when they were approached by two loose dogs that belonged to the woman living on Cielo Vista.

Police said the woman tried to turn and walk away from the loose dogs, but they followed her and became aggressive. Both of the loose Mastiffs reportedly attacked the woman's dogs, and she was bitten by one of them while trying to protect her dogs.

A man living nearby saw what was happening and went to help. Police said he hit the Mastiffs with a wooden cane, but he was knocked to the ground and bitten on the leg. After that, the loose dogs returned home.

When officers got to the area, the Mastiffs' were loose at their owner's home. Police said they tried to call the owner, but were not able to contact him, so they seized the dogs.

Both of the woman's dogs were taken to an emergency veterinarian, and one of them died of its injuries. The other was treated and is expected to survive.

The woman was taken by ambulance to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula to be treated for punctures and cuts. The man got his own medical treatment for the puncture marks on his leg.

Police eventually found the owner of the loose dogs, 55-year-old Leslie Flores. Police said he is facing citations for having vicious dogs, dogs running at large prohibited and having an unlicensed dog. Police said that because the attack was vicious and unprovoked, they will work with the City Attorney's Office to try to declare the dogs as vicious and keep them from being returned to Flores. The city will also request that Flores will not be allowed to own any dogs for three years.

Flores faced the same citations back in December 2018. Police said they were connected to three incidents involving a third Mastiff he owned. Flores surrendered the dog after the City Attorney's Office pursued a civil action. It was declared to be vicious and euthanized. Flores also agreed to keep his dogs indoors or in an enclosure to prevent them from escaping or children from entering.