Palatine residents on edge after recent dog attacks

PALATINE, Ill. - Residents in one Palatine neighborhood are on edge after a dog attack left one dog dead, and another injured. The owners of two dogs attacked were also bitten.  

Palatine police say the incident unfolded at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday.  

Residents say it happened on Greeley Street in front of The Heritage of Palatine condominium complex and near Stuart Paddock school.

A woman was walking two dogs on leashes, a pitbull mix and an Akita mix, when they broke free and went after a small dog being walked by another woman, according to police.

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That dog owner tried to protect her dog but was also attacked. Her dog was killed and she suffered bite wounds.

Police say the dogs then charged a second smaller dog and bit his male owner. That dog was taken to an animal hospital but is believed to have survived.

One resident of the neighborhood said he’s seen the dogs that attacked before, as he walked his young children to school.

"The people that own them tend to be on their phones not really paying attention to the dogs," said Robert Mangione. "Sometimes they go out without the leashes on them, they’re just holding them by the collar which isn’t great. Honestly I’d like to see somebody do something about those two dogs," he said.

Dog owner Clark Stonebraker was more specific.

"They need to put the dogs down if they find them, " he said.

Police said both pet owners attacked were taken to the hospital but are expected to recover. The dogs that attacked were current on their rabies vaccinations, they added.

Many neighbors said they were angry to hear that the dogs had been returned to their owner.

But some say they want more information about exactly what happened.

"I don’t know the circumstances so I’m not passing judgment yet on the owners," said Julie Monacella.

Palatine police declined to say where the dogs are now and would only say the case is being investigated by the police animal warden.