76-year-old woman loses part of arm in Desert Hot Springs-area dog attack
Riverside County Animal Services said two pit bull mixes escaped under a fence and attacked a 76-year-old woman near Desert Hot Springs on December 28, 2024, causing injuries severe enough to require partial amputation of her right arm.
Incident summary
Riverside County Animal Services said a 76-year-old woman visiting family from Sinaloa, Mexico was attacked shortly after 8:30 a.m. December 28, 2024 near Thomas Avenue and Kay Road southwest of Desert Hot Springs. Two pit bull mixes had dug under their owner’s six-foot chain-link fence and escaped. The woman suffered multiple arm and leg wounds, and doctors amputated part of her right arm. Both dogs were impounded and later euthanized.
Riverside County Animal Services investigated how the dogs escaped and reported that they dug beneath a six-foot chain-link fence. Both dogs were impounded and later euthanized. The reviewed sources did not report an arrest or criminal charge, so BiteDB does not infer one.
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Primary record used by BiteDB
KESQ, citing Riverside County Animal Services, reported that the woman was exercising in the morning when two pit bull mix dogs escaped under their owner’s chain-link fence and attacked her. An Animal Services officer impounded both dogs. The victim was hospitalized with multiple wounds, and the severity of the right-arm injuries required an amputation. The dogs were later euthanized at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus.
Open original source ↗Additional sources
- CBS Los Angeles — Woman has part of arm amputated after Riverside County dog attack — Independent local reporting / Animal Services corroboration · 2024-12-30
- KTLA/Yahoo — Elderly woman loses part of arm after Coachella Valley dog attack — Independent regional reporting / Animal Services corroboration · 2024-12-30
What BiteDB does not infer
Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.