Man injured after dog runs after javelina in Phoenix area

PHOENIX — A man was injured after his dog ran after a javelina Monday morning while on a walk in the Phoenix area, authorities said.

Shawn Gilleland with the Rural Metro Fire Department told KTAR News 92.3 FM that the man’s dog took off after the animal in the area of Palisades and Shea boulevards in Fountain Hills around 7:30 a.m.

The man, who was only identified as being in his 60s, fell from the force of the pursuit and was transported with minor, non-life threatening injuries. He told police he had hip pain, Gilleland added.

Gilleland said javelina interactions can be common for residents in areas like Fountain Hills and advised anyone who comes across them to keep their distance.

“Obviously, there is an interface with the wildlife and Fountain Hills is one of those (towns) where javelina seem to travel in and out or around the populated areas,” he said.

“If you see (javelinas), obviously, you want to give them their space because they can be unpredictable.”

Javelinas, according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, are “are medium-sized animals that look similar to a wild boar.”

They have long, sharp canine teeth but are classified as herbivores and live in desert washes, saguaro and palo verde forests, oak woodlands and grasslands with mixed shrubs and cacti.

Editor’s note: Initial reports from the Rural Metro Fire Department erroneously said the man was attacked by the javelina.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jeremy Foster and Madison Spence contributed to this report. 

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