Fort Washington Man Injured in Attack by 2 Dogs

A Fort Washington man walking his dogs was attacked by two mastiffs early yesterday in a melee that ended with a federal police officer fatally shooting two animals, authorities said.

The Rev. Richard Kenner said he was with his 4-year-old husky, Biggie, and his 8-year-old Shih Tzu, Cupid, about 7 a.m. when two Cane Corsos, an Italian breed of mastiff, knocked him to the ground and bit him repeatedly as shocked neighbors and motorists looked on.

"When I saw the two dogs come up, I knew that I was in trouble," said Kenner, 46, shortly after he was released from Fort Washington Hospital. "I really thought that they were going to kill me."

Prince George's County animal control officials said Kenner was attacked by two 150-pound Cane Corsos. Several motorists tried to intercede by honking their horns to distract the mastiffs, but none got out of their cars. It took an armed off-duty police officer who works for the Food and Drug Administration to stop the attack; he shot and killed one of the Corsos and Kenner's husky.

Kenner's Shih Tzu suffered several broken bones when his leash became caught in the grill of a car. A female Corso was taken into custody by animal control officers.

Kenner, an assistant minister at Capitol Heights Baptist Church and an information technology specialist at the Census Bureau, said he suffered bites to his arms, buttocks, groin and legs.

"One of the dogs threw me to the ground and latched onto my buttocks," he said. "My dog tried to fight him. I was wrestling with the dogs for about 20 minutes. The neighbors were yelling. I thought if I could get into a car I would be safe, but as soon as I reached the door, one of the dogs pulled me back."

Lying on the ground, Kenner said, he noticed that someone had a gun. "I tried to separate myself so he could have a clear shot," Kenner said. "He shot my dog and the other dog. He profusely apologized, but I thanked him because he didn't know that that was my dog."

Prince George's police said the FDA officer, who was not identified, will not face weapons charges.

Kenner said the owners of the Corsos went to the hospital and apologized to him. The owners face charges for allowing the dogs to roam without a leash, said Rodney C. Taylor, assistant director of the county's Animal Management Division. Authorities declined to identify the owners.

"A dog is supposed to be on a leash any time they are walked off the property," Taylor said. "These dogs were not on a leash."

"These dogs are not vicious dogs," he said, "but they need a lot of training. . . . Very rarely do we get attacks."

A few years ago there was a move to add Corsos to a list of dogs banned in the county after some residents reported attacks on their pets.