Harnett County man attacked by neighbor's American bulldogs faces up to $28K in medical bills

A Harnett County man’s wounds are healing nearly three months after four dogs attacked him.

Steve Reeves said the attack lasted about 14 minutes by his neighbor’s American bulldogs. He said the damages will cost him between $27,000 and $28,000 while medical bills continue to mount.

“[They were] constantly on me and just chewing,” Reeves said. “And, it was just a scary thing [because] it was weird because it was like … when they had my blood on them, it was like they got meaner.”

Authorities euthanized the four dogs the day after the attack.

Reeves said he thought he was going to die at one point. However, a neighbor came over with a gun and fired shots into the air to scare the dogs away.

Carman McNeil is the neighbor who owned the dogs.

“I can be no more apologetic than I’ve already been,” McNeil said. “I’ve apologized.”

McNeil did not want to speak with WRAL News on camera, but said she was asleep when her dogs somehow slipped out of the backyard.

Before the attack on Reeves, someone had already called Animal Control because the dogs surrounded a car and wouldn’t let the driver out. The dogs then left the car, saw Reeves and attacked.

WRAL News asked McNeil if the bulldogs had previously attacked anyone else or someone else.

“No, they never attacked anybody,” McNeil said. “They were never a nuisance because if they were, there would have been Animal Control called on them.

“They never bothered anybody. Never.”

Reeves continues to recover from his wounds and medical bills that he says have just about wiped out his family's savings.

Animal Control cited McNeil. However, McNeil does not face any criminal charges.

Reeves has set up a GoFundMe page to help with his medical bills.