Elite Runner Out Of Hospital After Vicious Dog Attack In Fort Worth
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A vicious dog attack sent an elite marathon runner in the hospital.
The runner, Caitlin Keen, who will be trying out for the Olympics, says she was running on the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth when she was attacked by a pit bull mix.
Caitlin Keen was attacked by a pit bull in Fort Worth (CBS 11)
That dog is now in quarantine at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
The dog does have an owner, but Keen says the owner was nowhere to be found when she was attacked.
As part of her training for the Olympic trials for 2020, Keen runs Trinity Trails in Fort Worth every day.
Sunday, she says she was running when a pit bull, wearing a puffy vest, attacked her.
"Before I knew it, the dog had jumped up on me, grabbed my arm, pulled me to the ground," said Keen. "I got up and tried to sprint away. It's a lot faster than I was, unfortunately. (It) grabbed me by the back, pulled me back down. I got up and we had a little bit of a face off. I kicked it with what I could."
Other people at the trail helped her get away from the dog.
She says someone claiming to be the owner showed up.
Keen was then taken to the hospital by ambulance while the dog was taken to Fort Worth Animal Care and Control, where staff there described the pit bull mix, Taco, as a happy, friendly dog.
Keen had a totally different experience with the dog that had no history of biting people according to Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
A report by animal control says the dog is declawed, so the wounds are from biting.
"Took a little bit of a bit out of the chuck of my back so I didn't really have much energy left," said Keen "Then I ran away because kicking it bought me like ten seconds," she said.
Keen said she will continue to train for the Olympic trials.
She did not get stitches for her injuries because doctors told her they could become infected.
"Owners need to be held accountable of their dog is off the leash," said Keen. "Even if you do classify your dog as a dangerous dog, you never know what it's going to do."
