3 men attacked by pit bulls in Pahrump; dogs’ owner arrested

By Pashtana Usufzy

Friday, March 13, 2015 | 9:37 p.m.

A Pahrump man was arrested today after his three pet pit bulls critically injured one man and seriously hurt two others, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred less than a year after the dogs attacked another man, authorities said.

Officers were called about 11:55 a.m. to 1091 Black Street in Pahrump, where three pit bulls jumped a 6-foot fence and attacked a man who was going to help feed his neighbor’s cats, police said.

The man cried out for help, and a friend who tried to help him was attacked by the dogs, police said. A third man who tried to intervene also was attacked, police said.

The two rescuers dragged the first victim next door and closed the fence gate, but the dogs followed them through a hole in the fence, police said.

As the dogs continued to attack, one of the men grabbed a gun and shot two of the dogs, but the animals continued to attack the men until a Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue ambulance scared them away, police said.

Ricky Davidson, 40, was arrested on a count of keeping vicious dogs resulting in substantial bodily harm, police said.

There are two homes on the property where the incident occurred. Davidson is a tenant in one and the other belongs to the owner, whose pet cats the first victim was going to help feed, police said.

The man who was initially attacked was taken by air ambulance to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was in critical condition, police said.

Both men who came to the first victim’s aid suffered serious injuries and were transported to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump for treatment, police said.

A bullet fired by one of the rescuers went through the lungs of one of the pit bulls, which was euthanized, police said. The other dog that was shot suffered shoulder injuries, police said.

Both surviving dogs are in custody and are expected to be quarantined, police said.

An investigation found the dogs had attacked another man eight months prior, police said.