Pit bulls flee with owner after attacking woman, dog

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- A woman heading into a North Austin Petsmart was attacked by three dogs.

With the help of a passer-by, the woman and her dog were able to break free and get help, but the attacking dogs' owner fled the scene.

Leena Murray and her dog, Bailey, are both doing much better now after receiving dozens of stitches costing hundreds.

"I got a few bites on my hands and scratches on my stomach," Murray said.

Bailey, however, got the worst of the attack.

"She's lucky they didn't just pull her organs right out," said Paul Murray, Leena's husband.

At about 3 p.m. Wednesday the Murrays were headed into the Petsmart at the Balcones Woods shopping center when a four-door Honda pulled in.

"All three dogs jump out of the windows of the car is still moving, and then all three of them are on top of her instantly before I knew what happened," Leena Murray said.

A passer-by was able to help pull the three pit bulls off. While Murray ran inside for help, the owner of the pit bulls herded the dogs back into his car and drove off.

"Certainly someone should not run away if their dog bites somebody, because the rabies situation is very serious," said Dorinda Pulliam with Town Lake Animal Shelter. "Rabies is a fatal disease."

Animal control officers are investigating, but if they don't find the dogs soon, Murray will have to undergo a series of rabies vaccinations. Yet that is the least of her concerns

"I want to make sure this doesn't happen again, because next time it could be a child," Murray said.

She said the scariest thing about the attack was that it seemed completely random.

"Those dogs were not going to stop until she was dead," Murray said of Bailey. "It could have happened to anyone in that parking lot."

The Murrays are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads them to the dogs' owner. To report information, call Austin Animal Control at (512) 972-6060.