Mother, son attacked by pack of dogs while walking near Jordan Lake

PITTSBORO, N.C. (WTVD) -- A pack of pit bulls attacked a mother and her son near Jordan Lake, according to Chatham County Sheriff's Office.

It happened May 20 around 6:30 p.m. while the mother and son walked in the new housing development called Firefly Overlook.

Nels Popp and his wife were walking their dog in that same neighborhood a few weeks ago when they noticed a dog in the woods "growling aggressively."

"Our dog knew instantly that he was not going to be his friend, so we went to the other side of the road, he was kind of nervous about it," Popp said.

It's unclear if that dog was part of the same pack that sent a mother and her 12-year-old son to the hospital Monday. Both had multiple dog bites on their legs and hands.

Deputies said the dogs that attacked those two also attacked a 66-year-old Cary man hours earlier. He was able to get away from the dogs and drive himself to an urgent care facility for treatment.

"It's pretty scary thinking about it now, we were the only people here with us and the dogs. Makes you think twice about finding these private places to walk," Popp said. "We love looking at new neighborhoods, just kind of checking out the area, but makes you think twice around here."

As for the four dogs that attacked the mother and son. Three of them were captured and taken to animal control to be monitored for signs of rabies. A deputy found the fourth dog in a different location; that dog could not be captured, so it was shot and killed. The deceased dog's body was sent to the state laboratory for rabies testing.

Investigators announced Tuesday that the dogs belonged to 31-year-old Brittney Fountain of Hope Mills. Fountain faces several criminal charges related to the incidents including animal cruelty and abandonment.