Aurora – City officials believe a gap in communication was exposed last Sunday after a man was attacked by four pit bulls and no one did anything for a day, allowing one of the dogs to attack again.
An emergency room nurse on Sunday told an Aurora police officer about the first attack that had occurred earlier in the day. But the officer told the nurse it was up to the victim to report the incident.
A day later, Jose Simental, 36, called Aurora’s Animal Care Division from his hospital room.
He told them he was attacked about 3:30 p.m. Sunday at a duplex at 1922 Dallas St. Four dogs being harbored in Aurora because they are banned in Denver jumped Simental, dragging him to the ground and biting him in the chest, legs and arms. Simental was saved by a friend who beat the dogs with a bar.
By the time Simental made the call to police, one of the dogs had struck again, biting landlord Brady Meeks, who was at the duplex Monday to collect rent.
“I was extremely lucky,” said Meeks, who suffered wounds on his thigh. “I’m fortunate enough that this was the only one that got loose.”
Meeks wondered what would have happened if the second victim was a child or someone who didn’t get so lucky?
“You would hope that they would make sure problems like this never happen again,” he said.
State law says “medical licensees” must alert authorities when they treat wounds from guns, knives or from injuries resulting from a criminal act, including domestic violence. But dog bites are not included in the statute.
That should be changed, said Aurora Councilwoman Molly Markert. “Something needs to be done so there isn’t that gap that is leaving people vulnerable,” she said.
Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, agrees and plans to introduce legislation requiring hospitals to tell authorities about every dog bite their doctors treat.
Hospitals report bites to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for record-keeping.
Medical Center of Aurora officials say they will start calling local authorities anytime someone is bitten. “We are using this incident as an opportunity to review how all animal bites are handled,” said Beverly Husted- Petry, hospital spokeswoman.
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer may be reached at 303-820-1175 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
