A dispute between a landlord and tenant took a terrifying turn on the morning of Aug. 26, 2026. According to a homeowner who didn’t wish to be identified, seven dogs mauled a frightened woman in the Claiborne Woods neighborhood while sheriffs just happened to be at a nearby home to serve an eviction notice (there is speculation that the dogs were from the evicted tenant’s home, but nothing is confirmed at this time).
The homeowner told WCCB Charlotte about the incident, saying at one point you couldn’t even see the woman because she was completely covered by the attacking dogs.
Deputies later confirmed that there were seven dogs involved in the attack, and one of them had to be killed while they worked to free the woman. Additionally, the outlet reports that no information has been released about the status of the victim.
Now, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies are working to confirm who owns the dogs, and they’re asking for the public’s help with the investigation, telling anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 704-334-1600.
Four People Were Injured During the Attack
The anonymous neighbor recalled the moment the dogs swarmed the woman. “They started like two or three dogs,” the neighbor recalled. “Then before you know it, four more dogs ran out of nowhere. They pulled her to the ground.”
The woman was quickly overwhelmed in the attack. “You couldn’t even see a human body under there,” the neighbor continued. “All you saw was dogs, and she was just screaming for help.”
According to the witness, deputies ran to the woman’s aid and tried to use a taser to help the woman. But, in the end, deputies had to shoot one of the dogs before they were able to rescue her.
Six Dogs Are Now in Custody
Since there’s no confirmation as to who owns the dogs, as they were not microchipped and no one has come forward to claim them, they remain in custody of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control (ACC) while Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the sheriff’s office work on the investigation. The dog that was killed in the attack is being submitted for a necropsy, which will include a rabies screening.
“I am proud of Deputy Bolden for quickly rendering assistance and aid. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family during this difficult time, and I wish her a speedy recovery,” the Sheriff McFadden told Queen City News. “I would also like to commend the community for their support, not only in aiding the victim and her family but also in caring for my deputies.”
According to Dogs Bite, dog bite-related visits to the emergency room have been on the rise between 2018 and 2023, even with a steep decline in 2020. The website says that around 1,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for non-fatal dog bites each day. While there’s no info on the status of the woman who was attacked, it’s probably safe to assume that she required at least some medical attention after such an intense encounter.