Elderly Puna Woman in Critical Condition Following ‘Vicious’ Dog Attack

What Hawai‘i County police have described as a “vicious” dog attack has left three kūpuna injured, one critically.

An 85-year-old Puna woman remains in critical condition, and two men have been treated for injuries, following an attack involving multiple dogs on Saturday, Aug. 14 in Kea‘au.

Big Island police and Animal Control are investigating the incident, which reportedly took place at about 5:43 pm in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision on 12th Avenue.

The woman was searching for her lost dog, police said, when two neighboring dogs attacked her. The two injured men, one 89 years old and the other 85 years old, tried to fend off the animals during the attack.

The woman was bitten about the head, neck, and arms, receiving multiple puncture wounds and lacerations. The two men were bitten multiple times, were subsequently treated for their injuries and released from the hospital.

The two dogs were captured by Animal Control and remain at a secure location, HPD reported.

The owner of the animals is under investigation. The property in question where the dogs came from has a partially fenced yard, the dogs were not secured, and were able to get outside of the property, according to a press release from police.

Prior to this incident, authorities reported no history involving the dogs being loose in the area where the attack occurred. It has not been determined at this time what might have provoked the dogs to attack the woman.

The situation remains under investigation and is classified as a dangerous dog incident under the Hawai´i County Code 4-31.

Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Members of the public wanting to report vicious dogs can call the police non-emergency number to report those incidents as well at (808) 935-3311.