PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A couple and their dog are recovering after experiencing a traumatic incident at the beach.
RELATED: Man, dog severely injured after being attacked by 5 unleashed dogs in Ponte Vedra Beach
The Hayes family, along with their dog, Rocky, were enjoying a sunny beach day when they noticed a group of dogs playing close by.
“They were to the south, and they were kind of approaching and playing and running,” Tim Hayes said. “And it looked like, you know, a person couldn’t really tell, and three dogs. And then that’s very common on the beach. And then as they got closer...I turned to my wife, and I was talking to her, and then she’s like, ‘Well, no, it’s actually five dogs and a lady.’”
As Tim and his wife Joyce were talking, one of the dogs came up and grabbed Rocky.
In a panic, Tim tried to grab Rocky from the dog but a second dog jumped in and grabbed Rocky as well.
“I finally got him in my arms like this, and I was already on my knees because I was like in a compromised position, and I just kind of laid over on him to cover him up. So I thought they’d go away,” Tim explained.
It wasn’t the case. The dogs then attacked Tim’s head and hands all while Joyce was trying to pull them off of him.
Moments later the woman walking the dogs grabs them and leaves.
“I turned around, and the lady had taken off down the beach like she didn’t even wait to see how we were,” Tim said.
Joyce then checks on her husband as she sees his ear bleeding and their dog covered in blood. They then rushed Rocky to the vet where they learned he would lose a leg.
Later, Tim went to the hospital to get stitches.
“It’s still a lot,” Tim said. It’s hard to sleep at night. You keep running through your mind. Especially me, I kept thinking, ‘What else could I have done?’”
They’re just happy their dog is alive and okay.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has put out a reward for any information that leads to identifying the dogs and the woman.
The couple said they were attacked by three pit bulls but the lady was also walking an American bulldog and a long-haired chihuahua.
Anyone with information is asked to call the SJSO non-emergency number at (904) 824-8304.