AUSTIN -- A dog attack at the Hike and Bike Trail sent a man to the hospital Sunday. However, the man is not blaming the dog, but rather the owner.
"It was a great day going for a run around Town Lake," Russ said. That run sent Russ, who didn't want to give his last name, to the emergency room after he was attacked by a dog.
"I saw a guy with a pit bull," he said. "His dog was on a six foot leash; he was out a little bit. I ran around him. He just latched on to my hip and started shaking, like I was a rawhide toy."
The wound did not require stitches.
The dog attacked happened on the same day hundreds of pit bull owners were celebrating their four-legged friends at Republic Square Park in Downtown Austin.
"He's wonderful," pit bull owner Josh Doocy said. "I have had him since he was ten weeks old. He's great around people and other dogs."
They tried to set a new record for the largest gathering of pit bull type dogs.
"A celebration of the love we have for our pit bulls, and we share it with the world," said Lydia Zaidamn with Love-A-Bull.
Zaidamn is the co-founder of Love-A-Bull. She said the dogs have gotten a bad wrap for years. When told about Sunday's attack, she was upset saying it comes down to the owner's responsibility.
"We don't solve public safety when we blame the breed rather than blame the human causing the problem," Zaidamn said. "A dog that doesn't get any love or human interaction is going to be dangerous regardless of the breed."
A message that Russ agrees with.
"You have to be a responsible owner," Russ said. "You've got to treat your dog with love -- that's what it comes down to for me."
As for the dog, he's been quarantined. He was not up to date on his shots, so it will be about a week before Russ finds out if he has to get treatment for rabies.
