A Kansas City man, Chris Culbertson, tragically died following a brutal attack by a pack of dogs. Culbertson, 46, endured a 23-minute mauling on Saturday night, during which he suffered 300 bites and 100 lacerations. He required 500 stitches after the violent incident, but complications from sepsis led to his death four days later, according to Fox4 News.
Culbertson was a known dog lover and even owned a pit bull himself. His family said he was shocked by the aggression of the dogs, which seemed intent on “dragging him like he was their dinner.” The harrowing attack was recorded on a neighbor’s CCTV, showing the pack circling him before he fell off his bike. Once he was on the ground, the dogs launched a savage assault, tearing at his legs, arms, feet, and face.
Additional dogs soon joined the attack, emerging from a nearby fenced area. The extent of the injuries was horrifying. “They ripped his cheek off, his chin, the heels of his feet,” his sister Angela Culbertson told KSHB. “I cannot believe that some dogs could do this to a human.”
Culbertson, who reportedly did not know the dogs, told his family that he felt abandoned during the attack. “I was reaching for help, and nobody was helping me,” he told them.
A neighbor attempted to intervene, wielding a golf club to try to fend off the dogs. However, her efforts were unsuccessful, and she was forced to flee and call 911. Reports indicate that a second person was also injured and taken to the hospital in serious condition. It is unclear whether this individual was the woman who tried to assist Culbertson.
Kansas City police arrived on the scene shortly after the attack began. Officers used their sirens and lights to scatter the dogs, finally ending the attack. A local resident told reporters that the dogs involved had reportedly been trained to fight, raising questions about their owner’s responsibility.
The Culbertson family is calling for accountability from the dogs’ owners. “The people that own the dogs need to be held accountable for this. This is murder, and they taught these dogs to do that,” Angela stated. “It’s their dogs. So, it’s their responsibility.”
The Kansas City Police Department is investigating the incident. Kansas City Pet Project Animal Services Division is also involved in supporting the case.
