Bend cyclist says he was attacked by stray dogs near China Hat Road

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend cyclist has a message and a warning after being attacked by dogs on China Hat Road south of Bend.

"To have dogs that attack people there just riding their bikes, that's to me, that is unacceptable behavior," Chris Carey said Tuesday. "That's why I'm making a stand here."

On Monday afternoon, Carey was wrapping up a bike ride around the Deschutes National Forest. He's been biking in the area for 30 years without incident, but as he passed a trailer on the Forest Service road, he says two dogs ran out of the woods and attacked him.

"I got off my bike, and one of them came up and immediately bit me in the leg," he said. "The other one got me in the pants. And then I had to actually fight him off."

Carey described the attack, saying he swung his bike at the dogs to defend himself. "When I'd go after one dog, the other one would sneak in and bite me, so I mean these animals were vicious animals and were on an attack."

Carey says a third dog was tied up near the trailer, and the trailer's occupants came out and tried to call the dogs back, but had no control over them. He claims he fought the dogs for about five minutes before he was able to move away from them and eventually escape.

After calling 911, Carey went to urgent care and had his bites treated.

While Carey wants the owners to take responsibility for their actions, he feels it's important he uses his story as a warning: "Be careful. I've never had a problem, but in this case, had it been, had I been a smaller child or possibly a woman, it could be a much more serious situation."

Carey does not take a weapon with him when he rides, and he says he doesn't think people recreating in the forest should have to carry one.

The Forest Service and police are still looking for the dogs, so they can do a rabies test. They have some idea of who owns the dogs but have not located them.

And as our viewers know, we've been following the situation on China Hat Road for years, and lately it's been a fast-moving situation.

Here are three facts you need to know: First, in just a few weeks, the hundreds of homeless campers will need to move. Second, the reason why is because the Forest Service is closing nearly 35,000 acres for wildfire fuel projects.

And third, service providers and the homeless themselves told KTVZ News they don't know where they'll go. Many have trailers and mobile homes that cannot be moved. The Forest Service says it's working with local governments, nonprofits and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office to help remove the camps.