PROSSER — A Prosser woman and her son spent days in a Tri-Cities hospital after being attacked by pit bulls near their home Friday morning.
Now home, they face more treatment and months of physical therapy, according to a fundraising account at bit.ly/GregersonGoFundMe.
Three of the dogs that could be identified as among those that mauled them are in quarantine and will be euthanized, said Lt. Jason Erickson of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
Gregerson and one of her sons, Hunter, 15, were walking with their dog when they were attacked about 9 a.m. Friday morning on Old Inland Empire Highway near Wilgus Road just west of Prosser, Wash.
Someone had entered their neighbor’s property and left the gate open, allowing six or seven dogs to escape. The sheriff’s office identified them as pit bulls.
The pit bulls attacked the Gregersons’ dog and killed it, Erickson said.
The mother and son tried to escape onto their property and close the gate, but the dogs were able to force their way through.
The dogs began to maul Christin Gregerson and as her son tried to protect her, he also was bitten, Erickson said.
When the neighbor saw the attack, he was able to fight his dogs off the Gregersons and get the dogs back inside his fence.
The Gregersons were taken to Prosser Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland because of the extent of their injuries, Erickson said.
Hunter Gregerson was released from the hospital Sunday, and will need physical therapy and wound care for the next several months, according to GoFundMe.
On Monday, Christin Gregerson also was home, but will need more surgeries, according to a GoFundMe post.
Deputies were able to identify three of the pit bulls in the attack because they were “covered with blood,” Erickson said. But the other dogs look so much alike that it could not be determined which additional dogs also may have attacked.
The owner of the pit bulls has opted to have the three dogs that could be identified euthanized after a 10-day quarantine to check for rabies.
Animal control and code enforcement were familiar with the property after being called previously to the house over animal control issues.
Deputies worked over the weekend with the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate possible charges, Erickson said.
The GoFundMe had raised $8,655 for the family by late afternoon Monday.
Money will be used for medical bills and to buy an automatic gate for their driveway to make the family feel safe in their home, they said.
