Man says he is grateful to be alive after he and his Labrador retriever survive being attacked by 2 dogs

HONOLULU (KHNL/Gray News) – A man in Hawaii said he is lucky to be alive after he and his Labrador retriever survived an attack from two other dogs last week.

Norman Seui said he was walking his 6-year-old dog, Lilly, along Fort Weaver Road in Honolulu last Thursday evening when he said the two dogs slipped under the fencing of a home they were passing by and attacked them.

Seui said he attempted to fend the two dogs off, resulting in one of his pinky fingers being damaged and dislocated.

“I’m holding my dog, and I’m trying to rip his mouth off,” he said.

Seui said he grabbed Lilly and hopped onto the hood of a Honda parked nearby as the dogs kept rushing them.

“At the end of the day, I’m grateful to be alive and my dog, especially my dog,” Seui said.

Although Seui and Lilly both survived the ordeal, they were left with a number of injuries.

Lilly received 38 stitches on her back after part of it was bitten and torn off. Seui said he believes things could have been much worse if it weren’t for help from bystander Justin Aquino.

“I just seen the dogs running wild and everybody yelling and I just seen the guys on top of the car, and he was asking for help so I had him hop in the back of my truck,” Aquino said.

The good Samaritan had reversed his truck to the Honda where Seui and Lilly were seeking refuge so they could jump into its bed and escape the attack.

“It was kind of nuts … it was crazy,” Aquino said.

Aquino said he drove the two to the hospital, and Lilly was taken to a vet emergency center. Seui said she has had to return to the center every day since the attack so vets can monitor her wounds.

“It’s terrible, man, I don’t wish this on anybody,” Seui said.

At the house where the attack happened, a chain-link fence enclosed several dogs that were roaming behind it and barking at passersby on Tuesday.

However, the owner of the dogs was quieter, declining to comment when asked about his dogs’ alleged encounter.

“This incident underscores the critical importance of responsible pet ownership and secure containment to protect community safety,” the Hawaiian Humane Society said in a statement. “Pet owners have a responsibility to ensure their animals are properly secured and cannot escape their property.”

According to the organization, a dog attack that leads to injury is a misdemeanor offense. Penalties could include a fine of up to $2,000, six months in prison or one year of probation. Owners could also be charged for victims’ medical expenses and face impoundment.

Dog attacks can be reported directly to the Honolulu Police Department.

“If you love your dogs, if you have animals, they’re your kids, you secure your kids, you know,” Seui said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover Lilly’s medical expenses.