SUNNYSLOPE, AZ — Mark Spray was taking a walk with his dogs around his Sunnyslope neighborhood a little more than a week ago. It started out pleasant but ended with an unpleasant surprise.
"He's not, he's not giving up and neither are we. So, it's all good," says Spray.
"They puffed up, like when they see a rabbit, and they both started this way. I didn't have control of the leashes at this point. The javelina came right at us and the battle happened right here," says Mark Spray, dog owner.
The javelina first went after Blue, the smaller of the two French bulldogs, before taking off. His brother Monte was being a protector and chased after it.
"I could just hear the fight ongoing. So, that's when I grabbed the garbage can and a golf club and ran back, making as much noise as I could," says Spray.
The noise scared off the Javelina and Monte came back home. He's left with battle scars after putting up a good fight.
"The bite marks are over six inches in radius. So, just imagine...I mean, his mouth was wide open," says Spray.
There have been several attacks over the past few weeks across Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish issued a warning after dogs were targeted in four separate incidents in Oro Valley.
Javelina are attracted to food, while Game and Fish also says that javelinas often attack dogs because they can't tell them apart from coyotes and see them as a threat.
"I think we really surprised the javelina and you know, he didn't hear us coming up here. So, that's kind of how it happened," says Spray.
As for Monte and Blue, they're back on the move. They are continuing with the same evening walks, just a little more cautious than before.
