No charges filed in Eden Prairie dog attack

Panhandling family attacked by dogs

A family panhandling on an exit ramp along 494 in Eden Prairie was injured Wednesday when they were attacked by a dog that jumped from a vehicle.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - After a family of three panhandling on the side of a road in Eden Prairie was attacked by dogs last month, no charges have been filed and the case has been closed.

The dogs involved have since been returned to their owners. In a statement on Thursday, police say there was insufficient evidence to file charges in the attack. The dogs were held for ten days before being allowed to return home.

The family, including the mother, father, and a two-year-old girl, suffered bites during the attack on August 16.

Police said the dogs began to bark when the father approached the vehicle, holding a sign. As the father got closer, one of the dogs jumped from the vehicle and began attacking the family. According to the incident report, police were told by the people inside the vehicle that they tried to signal the family not to come closer before the first dog got loose.

When the owners got out of the vehicle to get the loose dog, officers say the other two dogs also got out.

The mother, who used her body to shield her young daughter from the animals, suffered the worst injuries of the group and was hospitalized for three days, according to the family. The child, thankfully, suffered only minor injuries.