Mother remains hospitalized after being attacked by 4 dogs

Well, tonight, a mother of four has a long road of recovery ahead of her after she was attacked by dogs in Polk County earlier this week. She's currently hospitalized at Memorial Hermann in Houston, and now her father wants those dog owners to be held accountable. Fox 26's Jillian Hartman is joining us live after speaking with the victim's father, Jillian. The photos are just horrific. Yeah, and the father says she's lucky to be alive. It's truly a miracle. He said that she was just walking home from the store when four dogs attacked her, and he shared these photos of her injuries. So take a look at these. So this is 35-year-old Kristanya Winger, who also goes by Cassie. She has already undergone multiple surgeries. So her father tells me she suffered severe injuries to her arms, legs, neck, and back. The Polk County Sheriff's Office says The attack happened on Sunday, October 11th, near Quailcrest Drive in the Lake Livingston Village neighborhood. And deputies say four pit bull type dogs attacked her while she was walking. One dog attacked her and knocked her to the ground, and then the other three joined in, authorities say. So people were driving by, and they intervened and scared the dogs away. Then Cassie managed to get to a neighbor's home, where the neighbor called 911. And investigators say a deputy responded and rushed her to a local hospital in his patrol vehicle because her injuries were so serious. She was later flown to Houston for additional treatment. But one neighbor tells me today these dogs have been a problem in the past. What has your experience been with those pit bulls down the street from your home? They bark a lot, run up and down the road, chase kids on bicycles, come down to my house and get in my garden, you know. Have they been a nuisance? Well, yeah. Nobody's down there taking care of them, so they just run wild around here. Are you surprised that there was an attack? No. I figured it was going to happen sooner or later. What have your concerns been before about these dogs? Yeah, I thought maybe something was going to happen. But I called the animal control and Dog Pound, the sheriff, come out and talk to me. Nobody would do anything about it. And then this happened. It's sad, huh? That's too bad. What's your reaction hearing about the attack? I was shocked. Whoever owns them ought to take responsibility, you know. Do you think the dogs should be removed? Oh, yeah. They should be gone. That would do us all a favor. So it's a heartbreaking situation, a brutal attack. I reached out to the Polk County Sheriff's Office to see if any charges will be filed. Deputies say the attack remains under investigation. Now, the dog's owner has already been cited for failing to vaccinate the animals, I'm told, and allowing them to roam at large. The dogs were taken to the Polk County Animal Control Facility, where they're under a required 10-day quarantine for rabies observation. And once that's complete, the sheriff's office said it will start the process of having the dogs declared dangerous. Back to you, Caroline. Oh, Jillian, that's just horrible. This could really happen to anyone, anywhere. So what should people do if they encounter an aggressive dog? Yeah, so I looked up some tips and experts tell us it really just depends on the situation and every situation is different. Every dog is different. So there are some steps you can take to help protect yourself. And here's some of the tips I got. So it says if a dog tries to bite, substitute something for the dog to bite on, like a stick, a notebook, a jacket maybe. If a dog does bite you, don't pull away. Actually, resistance can make things much worse, injuries much worse. And if you're able to get away, avoid running, actually just back away slowly while facing the dog. So you actually can find this helpful information on the Houston's Bark Animal Shelter website. And that information is on our website, fox26houston.com. Back to you.