TACOMA, Wash. — The owner of two dogs that mauled a pregnant woman in Tacoma has been ordered to send the animals to a secure shelter outside the city.
The ruling gives the dog owner 30 days to relocate the animals at their own expense or have them euthanized.
The decision follows an attack in June, when Renee Wilson was mauled by a neighbor’s two dogs in a parking lot on the day she was due to give birth.
The attack forced Wilson to undergo an induced labor, and bite wounds from the attack subsequently led to serious infections, including MRSA.
Wilson welcomed her baby boy nearly two months ago, but the mother and son have faced a difficult start following the attack.
KIRO 7 News spoke with Wilson, who expressed ongoing fear about being outdoors in her neighborhood.
“We could have lost our lives,” she said. “I can’t even walk my baby outside in a stroller. I have fear, you know.”
Wilson, who worked as a nurse for 14 years, said her physical wounds are only beginning to heal while long-term medical and psychological complications persist.
The attack caused infections that required medical treatment.
“I had cellulitis and MRSA,” Wilson said regarding her complications. She added that the trauma has ended her career in health care.
“I can’t do nursing anymore. I have PTSD. I have night terrors.”
Jerrica Washington, a neighbor living in the same neighborhood, recalled the terrifying moment of the attack and expressed concern for the safety of local families.
“My kids would have been in that alleyway if I hadn’t of made them come back in the house,” Washington said. She noted that residents remain fearful of continuing normal outdoor activities.
“We can’t let the kids come outside and play and just walk around and do different things because somebody has vicious dogs,” Washington said.
Both Wilson and Washington believe relocating the animals does not solve the safety hazard. Wilson voiced strong disapproval of the hearing examiner’s ruling to allow the animals to be rehomed.
“I think they should have been euthanized because they’re just going to be rehomed somewhere else where they can hurt or attack another person,” Wilson said.
Attempts to reach the owner of the dogs for comment were unsuccessful.
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