MORSE, La. (KLFY) -- A 43-year-old man, suffering from cerebral palsy and scoliosis, and his dog were attacked by four dogs in the town’s walking park Sunday morning, Feb. 2.

The man's sister said that while living with her the 43-year-old takes his dog Daisy on a walk twice daily and uses the dog as his therapy companion.

Morse Police Chief Barton Kibodeaux explained a woman owner who lives across the street from the walking park opened the door to her residence and she opened the door. Unbeknownst, four dogs in the home turned aggressive and ran across the street to the walking park and started to attack the dog and the 43-year-old man.  “By the time she can get there the dogs that attacked the dog and the owner of the dog being walked were covering the dog to minimize the damage to his secured animal, which was on a leash and a harness,” Kibodeaux said. “Two guys from the community pulled up at the store, which was across the highway, and heard the woman and the guy screaming for help. They ran back across the street and just started to remove these dogs.” 

The chief said he was almost attacked by one of the dogs when he along with an animal control officer went to the woman’s home with the four dogs.  “She came out with the first dog, which was the bully," he explained. "That dog actually pushed her out the way when she opened the door. The dog was unsecured in its own residence. So it was able to escape and once it escaped, the three followed,”

According to the Louisiana leash law before you are allowed to let an animal out its doghouse, out of its kennel or out is permanent residence, which means in the house where the owner stays, you must have this dog leashed before you allow it out the house.

“We took the dog, we put it in a cage in animal control's vehicle and as we went to get the second dog, the second dog ran out of the house and started to approach me," Kibodeaux said. "Animal control put it in the vehicle, and then the owner went in and got the other two dogs. As for our safety, she took control of the dogs, brought them to the animal control vehicle, and placed them in kennels. After they were secured with animal control we went back and animal control at that point took over the investigation because of the bodily harm to the subject and the subject's dog.”

The family said the 43-year-old man is on social security disability and has low income. The attack has caused him to deplete his account before paying any of his bills or groceries for the month. It has also taken a toll on his mental health as he is still blaming himself for his companion nearly being killed just because he "took her for a walk” which the family said is terrible and heartbreaking in itself. “If people have these dogs, I ask that you put a sign on the door for safety purposes, for the first responders, for the police department because of the situation. If someone is down and hurt in your house and has to call for assistance, if we don't know that there's a dog in there, it doesn't have to be a vicious dog. A dog will protect his domicile and if we interrupt their domicile and their normal living, your dog may not be vicious, but it will protect its owner and it will protect its domicile,” he adds. 

The family said the 43-year-old is fine physically, however not so much mentally. He and his dog are recovering at his mother & stepfather's home in Ragley La. They said the attack on the both of them was uncalled for and never should have happened in the first place. “It's going to take him some time to get over this and be able to get back to walking the neighborhood without fear of another attack," said the family. "Also, Daisy seems to be recovering ok as of now, but she will still need more vet appointments to come and a way to go to recover physically and mentally.”

The owner of the four dogs was cited for four counts for not having her dogs on the leash. The fine will be about $300 dollars for each count.