Man charged after his dog allegedly attacked woman and her dog in Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A woman is thankful she and her dog are OK after they were attacked by a neighbor’s dog. The attack was so bad, she went to the hospital and left with numerous stitches.

Jessica Cuellar’s dog, Rolley, came as a surprise. Jessica found him as a puppy in a box under a tree right near her front yard.

“I brought him in the yard, and then I brought him inside and then we ended up keeping him,” said Cuellar.

By August of last year, he was three years old. Cuellar said she was walking Rolley along Ilex Street at night in a southeast Houston neighborhood, but was being careful because two dogs at Jose Zapata’s home had already chased after them before. Despite her caution, she said one of the dogs attacked them.

“It actually came after Rolley first, and it had him by the neck and I was trying to get him away. That’s when he came after me,” said Cuellar.

She grabbed Rolley to protect him, but ended up getting attacked herself.

“He wouldn’t let go of my arm after a lot of bites. He grabbed onto my arm, and he wouldn’t let go of it,” she said.

Cuellar said she yelled to get help and neighbors came to her aid. She said she had at least seven bites and numerous stitches.

This isn’t the first time there’s been an issue with the same dog. Prosecutors said the same dog attacked a man in 2012.

“The dog was unsecured and bit another person. A male this time, and he sustained pretty severe injuries that required medical treatment as well,” said Lindsey Bondurant, the chief of animal cruelty division with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

BARC said the dog was placed in quarantine for 10 days after each incident. Zapata then claimed the dog after each quarantine and is now facing a felony charge for dog attack.

Jessica is left with scars and Rolley got bit, but they’re both doing OK.