JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The owner of four pit bulls that viciously attacked a man last week said he is sorry his dogs sent a 56-year-old man to the hospital.
Charles Washington was left with a bloodied face and severe bite wounds after the attack that happened Friday night on Pacetti Street on Jacksonville's Eastside.
"I'm sorry that my dogs attacked, and I hope and pray that you pull out of the situation," Seal Jennings said. "My prayers are with you every day, and I'm sorry for my dogs attacking."
Jennings, who was breeding blue pits, said his dogs have never attacked anyone before. He also said his dogs have never escaped their yard before.
Jennings said he was in North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend and that the fence was closed when he left. He said he heard Washington entered his fence before the attack.
"I heard that he entered the gate. A source told me that he came to the gate," Jennings said.
After the attack, police said they couldn't find Jennings.
"I was out of town. I was not hiding. I was not running," Jennings said. "A whole lot of allegations here that make me look like I'm the villain. I'm not. I wasn't here. I was out of town."
News4Jax hasn't been able to speak to Washington and was told he remains in critical condition one week after the attack.
According to a police report, one woman said she often feared for her children's lives and the lives of her neighbors because of the dogs. The woman told police that she walks around the neighborhood with a bat because she feels like a prisoner in her own home. She also said her children cannot go outside because of the vicious dogs.
Another witness told police that the dogs frequently scare children who walk to school. She said the dogs have attempted to attack her and her family members.
Jennings said he never had any complaints from Animal Control and Protective Services before.
"If Animal Control was contacted, they would've left me a tag on the gate," Jennings said. "I've been here for three years. My dogs never attacked nobody, never ran at those children."
Police said the dogs escaped from a poorly constructed chain-link fence before the attack.
Jennings said he's complained to his landlord several times about the fence.
"I asked my landlord to fix it. I'm disabled. I get a disability check. I'm 100 percent disabled. I'm on a fixed income," Jennings said.
Jennings' landlord said over the phone that she never got any requests from Jennings to fix the fence.
"No. why would he call me to have his fence repaired when his dogs are the ones who tore up the fence," Dorothy Fuller said.
"Sorry that my dogs attacked this person, Mr. Washington. But I'm more concerned about his welfare. That's the main focus, not my dogs," Jennings said.
Animal Control had record of several previous complaints about dogs at Jennings' address, ranging from March 2014 to the Sept. 5 attack.
Those incidents were:
Jennings told News4Jax he has received 11 citations related to the attack and that the fines total about $6,000. He signed the dogs over to ACPS.
He said he will not be breeding any dogs in the future.