DURHAM, NC – (Thursday, January 8, 2026) 

Just before 3:00 a.m. today, Durham 911 received a call from residents on the 900 block of Main Street. The family reported that their dog, a pitbull mix, had become aggressive after being “spooked” by a stimulus outside the residence.
The victims reported that the dog was in a bedroom with an adult female resident when her adult son entered the room. The dog then attacked the son, biting him multiple times on the legs and arms. The mother attempted to intervene to separate the two and was also bitten, sustaining similar injuries. A juvenile male in the home was similarly bitten during the incident. The family was eventually able to secure themselves inside the bedroom, leaving the dog in the main portion of the home while they waited for emergency responders.
Durham Fire and Durham County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services arrived shortly after the call. Fire personnel successfully rescued the family from the bedroom, while the Animal Services officer safely secured the animal and transported it to the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Durham. The owner surrendered the dog to the county following the attack.
 
Per local and State ordinances, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services division will now conduct a formal Dangerous Dog Investigation. This process involves a thorough review of the incident, including the severity of the medical injuries sustained and whether the attack was unprovoked. Under North Carolina law, a "Dangerous" or "Potentially Dangerous" designation can result in strict lifelong confinement requirements, mandatory liability insurance, or humane euthanasia if the animal is deemed a persistent threat to public safety.  Once the investigation is complete, Animal Services will make a decision on the designation, and APS of Durham will determine the next steps for the dog.

###