Muscotah dog attack sends 77-year-old man to hospital, court action possible
A 77-year-old Muscotah man was hospitalized after two dogs attacked him on Shawnee Street, and two 24-year-olds were cited.
A late-morning dog attack in Muscotah sent a 77-year-old man to the hospital and triggered court notices for two local residents, raising immediate questions about animal restraint and neighborhood safety in the small Atchison County town.
Deputies were called just before noon Friday to the 100 block of Shawnee Street after reports that the man had been attacked by two dogs. Atchison County EMS took him to Amberwell Atchison in Atchison, where he received care for puncture wounds and lacerations, Sheriff Jack Laurie said in a release.
Laurie’s report identified Jimmy Bowen, 24, and Mia Bowen, 24, both of Muscotah, as the residents issued notices to appear in court on a charge of permitting a dangerous animal to be at large. Under Kansas statute 21-6418, that offense applies when an owner or custodian knowingly allows a dangerous or vicious animal to go at large or fails to take ordinary care to restrain it. Kansas classifies the offense as a class B nonperson misdemeanor.
The case places a public-safety issue squarely inside Muscotah, not on the edge of the county. With a 2020 census population of 155, even a single violent animal incident can ripple quickly through a community where most residents know one another and where a loose dog is more likely to be recognized as a neighbor’s animal than an unknown threat.
The attack also highlights the role of local emergency response in rural Atchison County. Deputies, EMS crews and hospital staff all became part of the chain that handled the incident within minutes, turning what began as a morning call on Shawnee Street into a medical and legal matter.
Officials did not identify the dogs’ breed, say whether the victim knew the animals, or release information about prior complaints or any quarantine order. No court date was listed in the release, but the notices to appear set the stage for possible prosecution as the county considers how the animals were being controlled when the attack happened.
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