SAN ANTONIO — Animal Care Services is investigating possible criminal charges against a dog owner after an American Staffordshire Terrier attacked an 80-year-old woman Thursday morning outside her home on the 8900 block of Arch Bridge in San Antonio. The same dog bit a 5-year-old girl on April 29, 2026, and was taken into ACS custody Thursday for a quarantine period, with its future not yet determined.

The Thursday attack injured the woman's face near her eye. Animal Care Services is working with the San Antonio Police Department to pursue charges, including attack by dog, a third-degree felony, and serious bodily injury.

ACS investigators began searching for the dog immediately after the April 29 incident but could not locate it. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to because the owner intentionally took the dog out of our jurisdiction," ACS Director Jonathan Gary said.

Gary said dogs are considered personal property in the United States and require an arrest warrant before they can be taken into custody. He said Animal Care Services also requires proof of a reported incident before it can take custody of a dog.

Reports about the dog date back to April and May 2025. Investigators could not confirm those earlier complaints or gather enough evidence to take enforcement action because the reports were anonymous and lacked witness testimony, and the dog was not confined when officers arrived. "Nothing came of those reports because we weren't able to confirm the incidents with the residents, other than speaking to the owner on more than one occasion," he said.

Brian Funderburk, a neighbor, said the situation should have been prevented. "It's not something that should be happening," he said. "This falls on the owner for not doing his due diligence, training his dog and taking care of his dog in the proper way."