UPDATE: Through tips from the community, Overton’s family said animal control officers located and cited the dog’s owner. Overton will not need rabies treatment because the dog was up to date on its rabies vaccine.

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MILLCREEK, Utah — The family of a Millcreek man is desperately searching for a pit bull and its owner after the dog attacked him, sending him to the hospital. 

“It’s the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had,” Larry Overton said. “It all happened so quickly.”

The 81-year-old was out for his daily walk around 8 a.m. on a path near the playground at Oakridge Elementary when he encountered a woman and her unleashed pit bull.

“The dog circled around me on the grass and came up behind me and grabbed my arm,” Overton said. “I kicked at it and was backing away from the dog. I stumbled, then he grabbed the other arm.”

Attacked by a dog and the clock is ticking. A desperate search for the dogs owner as the elderly victim faces rabies treatmenta, tonight on @KSL5TV at 10. #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/n3Tpzn1J87

— Deanie Wimmer (@DeanieWimmer) October 15, 2022

Overton said the dog’s owner then grabbed it by its harness to get it off of him.

“The dog was actually pulling her toward me, but she had slowed it enough that I got away and ran home,” he said.

He did not realize the extent of his injuries until he lifted his long-sleeve shirt and saw the puncture wounds on both arms.

“The bites went to the bone,” he said. “One had a quarter-sized chunk bitten out.”

He rushed to the hospital where doctors cleaned and loosely sutured the wounds, hoping to prevent infection.

“Rabies is the much bigger issue, and the big deal is we need to find the dog,” Overton said. “I have 24 hours from 8:00 this morning to find out if the dog has had its rabies vaccine.”

The family has not been able to locate the dog’s owner to find out if the dog was up-to-date on its rabies vaccination.

“Our sons have been scouring the neighborhood, passing out fliers, going door-to-door, but we haven’t found anything yet,” Overton said.

If they do not get that information by 8 a.m. Saturday, Overton will need to start treatment for rabies, with multiple injections administered over the next couple weeks.

“It’s a large needle by the umbilical cord I’ve been told,” he said. “I’ve never had it, but I don’t want it.” 

Overton is just glad no children were on campus when he was attacked. The elementary students are currently on fall break.

“We would have a much different outcome! It wouldn’t be dog bites, it would be a child dead,” he said.

The Granite School District told KSL their cameras on campus did not capture the attack.

Unified police said their agency, along with Animal Control, are investigating the incident.

The dog is described as a white pit bull with brown patches wearing a harness. Overton described the dog’s owner as a thin, white woman in her 40s with dark hair.

If you have any information about the dog, call or text the family at 801-699-4030.