71-year-old Hawaii man fatally mauled by pack of large dogs
An elderly Hawaii man was found dead Tuesday after apparently being mauled by a pack of large dogs.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on Tuesday in Kau on Hawaii’s Big Island when a witness “heard a commotion” and saw a man being attacked by four dogs in the middle of the road, the Hawaii Police Department said in a statement. The witness managed to chase the animals off and called 911.
Officers arrived and found the man lying unconscious. The victim died on the way to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. On Wednesday, he was identified as 71-year-old Robert Northrop of Ocean View.
“There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack,” Hawaii Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said. “This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided.”
The dogs had previously been reported as strays, but were traced to owners who were not home at the time of the attack. All four animals as well as a litter of 10 puppies were taken by the Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency.
No information about the dogs’ breeds or conditions was made available.
The owners could be charged with negligent failure to control a dangerous dog, which becomes a felony if an unprovoked dog attack results in serious bodily harm or death. The dog owners could face up to 10 years in prison, thousands of dollars in fines and the humane destruction of the animals.
The U.S. has seen a number of fatal dog attacks in recent years. In 2022, a 61-year-old postal worker was killed by a pack in Florida while delivering mail. In February, an 80-year-old man was killed and three more people were wounded in an attack in San Antonio.
