Two dogs were impounded after neighbors intervened and Tacoma Animal Control opened a dangerous dog review.
TACOMA, WA — A pregnant woman was hospitalized in stable condition Thursday after two loose dogs knocked her down and bit her in a residential area of Tacoma, police said.
The attack happened about 11:05 a.m. in the 4000 block of Puget Sound Avenue. Tacoma police said the woman was walking to her vehicle with her small dog when two loose dogs approached and tried to attack the smaller animal. The case moved quickly from an emergency call to an Animal Control investigation, with the two dogs impounded and their owner identified.
The dogs were described by police as an American Pit Bull Terrier and an American Bully. During the attack, the woman was knocked to the ground and bitten. FOX 13 reported that Thursday was also the woman’s due date. David Smith, who lives nearby, said he and Satya Boyle were inside their home when they heard the woman outside. “We hear screaming coming from out here,” Smith said. The couple ran out and found the woman near her parked car as the dogs attacked.
Smith said he tried to stop the dogs while the woman was bleeding from her leg. He said he scared off the smaller dog, but the larger, light-colored dog would not let go. “I just wanted to keep the dog off of her and make sure she was ok,” Smith said. He described injuries to her thigh, wrist and ankles. Police have not publicly released the woman’s name, her age, the name of the dogs’ owner or the full extent of her injuries.
Tacoma Animal Control safely secured and impounded both dogs after the attack, police said. The dogs’ owner was later located and was cooperative with authorities. Animal Control officers in Tacoma respond to calls and complaints inside city limits, including cases involving dangerous dogs. The city says Animal Control handles animal-related issues during weekday duty hours, while emergencies involving people or animals in imminent danger are routed through 911.
The two dogs are set to go through a standard 10-day quarantine before Tacoma Animal Control conducts a Dangerous Dog Investigation, police said. After that investigation, the owner will have the chance to request a hearing. Authorities have not announced whether any citation or criminal charge had been issued as of Sunday. The investigation is expected to determine what legal steps, restrictions or penalties may follow under city animal rules.
The attack drew attention because it unfolded in daylight on a city block as the woman was doing a routine task near her car. Smith and Boyle’s intervention became a key part of the response before officials arrived. The woman’s small dog was the first target of the loose dogs, police said, but the pregnant woman was the one knocked down and bitten as the attack escalated.
As of Sunday, the woman was reported stable, the dogs remained impounded, and Tacoma Animal Control was preparing the next stage of its review after the quarantine period ends.
Author note: Last updated June 28, 2026.