Residents in the south suburban city of Harvey are raising urgent concerns after a 58-year-old woman was brutally mauled by two large dogs in April, leaving her with life-altering injuries and sparking questions about the city’s handling of animal control and public safety.
The victim, Donna Hale, was attacked by two 80-pound Rottweilers while walking through her neighborhood. According to witnesses and video evidence, the dogs tore off her clothing and dragged her up and down the street in a vicious assault. One of the dogs was shot by a bystander and later euthanized by Cook County Animal Care and Control. The other escaped and was never located.
The violent attack forced Hale to undergo seven surgeries, and part of her foot had to be amputated.
“They dragged me up and down the street, and I’m yelling, and they were strong,” Hale recounted to NBC Chicago’s Regina Waldroup in an emotional interview following a recent surgery.
Now, residents are demanding to know why they weren’t notified sooner about the attack — or that a dangerous dog remained on the loose in their neighborhood.
“These are city streets, and if you are walking around, it is their responsibility,” one resident said.
“I found out this morning on the news. I think the city should have sent out an alert,” added another.
According to Cook County officials, decisions on issuing alerts for public safety incidents are left to the discretion of individual municipalities. Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark acknowledged the city’s animal control issues at a recent forum, attended by local residents and representatives from the Anti-Cruelty Society.
“There was some that were aware that the dogs had been out and about for quite some time, but there was no action taken, and we didn’t find out about it until, of course, it was too late,” Mayor Clark said.
The city has seen a surge in reports related to loose and dangerous animals. City data reveals Harvey received:
- 1 dog bite complaint in January
- 78 reports of loose animals in January
- 38 such complaints in February
- 95 in both March and April
In response, Harvey recently hired two new officers specifically tasked with handling animal control. They are currently undergoing training provided by Cook County and are expected to begin active duty in July.
Still, residents are skeptical that staffing alone will fix systemic issues. Many are calling for stricter policies on pet registration, microchipping, and immediate community alerts for dangerous incidents.
Mayor Clark echoed those sentiments:
“That’s the reason why we want the dogs to be registered, and why we want the microchip, and the reason why we want people to be more responsible or to own this so that this doesn’t happen.”
As Donna Hale recovers from the traumatic injuries she endured, her community is left grappling with a painful question: could this attack have been prevented?
