Man, 81, attacked by 7 dogs now risks limb amputation

A man is at risk of losing multiple limbs after being attacked by seven dogs while walking to his mailbox in Alabama.

Jamie Boyd was attacked by dogs allegedly belonging to his neighbors, William and Lacey Mitchell, in Bibb County on Sept. 24, local news outlet WBRC reported. The 81-year-old’s wife tried to help in the middle of the attack, but she had been sitting on a walker and ended up falling herself.

After police arrived on the scene, Brent Police Chief Carl McMillan fired a shot at the dog, which he believed had its eyes on Mrs Boyd. “I don’t know if I hit him or not. He didn’t scream out, but they started running,” McMillan told the outlet.

An indictment has been filed against William, 53, and Lacey Mitchell, 50, and they were indicted by a Bibb County grand jury on Oct. 3. The Mitchells were charged under Emily’s Law — an Alabama law that targets owners of dogs that attack or cause serious harm — with one count of controlling dangerous dogs.

Boyd’s scalp was ripped from his head and he lost 50% of his muscle tissue in the attack, WBRC reported, citing the lawsuit. He remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit at UAB Hospital.

“He is facing amputation of his arm and potentially his leg to stop the infection which is just out of control and the family is asking for prayers for everyone in the community,” said Boyd’s attorney, Paul Patterson, WBRC a month after the attack.

According to Patterson, the dogs were a combination of pit bulls and pit bull mixes.

According to the charges pleaded by WBRChad Mitchell’s prior knowledge that the dogs were dangerous. Court records also show they both signed a plea of ​​not guilty and a waiver of charges form.

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“This is one of the most tragic attacks that I have dealt with in my years as a civil rights attorney,” Patterson told the news agency, claiming the attack was a brutal assault.

“I think the legislature really needs to take another look at Emily’s Law to make it a little more punitive for people who have a reckless disregard for the safety of others when they own these types of dogs,” he continued.

“If a court has not declared the dog vicious before, then the punishment – in my opinion – is not as severe as it should be,” Patterson added.

The seven dogs have since been impounded at the Bibb County Animal Facility.

The Michells are out of jail on $5,000 each, local news outlet AL reported. The trial is set for early December.

PEOPLE has reached out to Brent Police and Boyd’s attorney, Paul Patterson, for further comment.