Florida dog attacks owner trying to dress it in a sweater

A dog in Florida turned on its owner, who was trying to dress it in a sweater, biting the woman and others who tried to help her, police told local media outlets.

The dog, named Scarface, bit Brenda Guerrero on Friday afternoon in Tampa, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Police spokesman Stephen Hegarty told the newspaper that the woman was attacked after she attempted to dress the pit bull mix in a sweater.

Also involved in the incident: Guerrero’s husband, Ismael, and a third adult, identified in the Times as Antoine Harris, 22. Ismael Guerrero and Harris tried to intervene after Scarface initially attacked, with Harris stabbing the dog’s neck and head, according to reports.

All three managed to get away from the animal, who was dealt with by authorities who responded to the scene. The Times reported that before Scarface was ultimately captured and subdued, he did slip from the home’s back yard to inside the residence, where children were present.

Eddy Durkin, of the Tampa police, told WFTS-TV that officers used a stun gun but that the dog was “still pulling away” and was able to release the device’s prongs. According to the ABC affiliate — which captured footage of the dog being led away, its coat stained with blood — authorities also used a bean bag gun, a tool called a “catch pole” and a tranquilizer gun on the animal.

“Officers responding said the dog was pretty aggressive,” Durkin told WFTS.

A spokesperson for Tampa police did not respond to a telephone message left by The Washington Post on Monday.

Brenda and Ismael Guerrero were taken to a hospital, according to local media outlets. Harris also was attacked, according to the Tampa Bay Times, although the newspaper did not report that he was hospitalized.

Brenda Guerrero’s granddaughter, Tina Harris, told the New York Daily News that her grandmother was “doing much better because she can finally move and talk.” Tina Harris told the newspaper that Brenda Guerrero needed surgery after the incident, in which she was bitten in the arm.