Three Loose Dogs Attack Antioch Man and Kill His Yorkie in the Eagleridge Neighborhood

What Happened on Greystone Drive

Jim Thomson, 73, was walking his 11-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Benji, on a leash near Greystone Drive and Rockford Drive in Antioch's Eagleridge neighborhood shortly after 8 a.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2025, when three larger, unleashed dogs came up behind them and attacked the small dog, according to the family's account reported by the Antioch Herald and KTVU.

Thomson fell into the street while trying to separate the dogs. He broke his elbow and hurt his knee, and he underwent elbow surgery on November 13 followed by an overnight hospital stay for monitoring. Benji did not survive; KTVU reported the terrier suffered at least seven broken ribs and multiple puncture wounds.

Surveillance video showed at least one of the dogs wearing a collar, according to KTVU. The family described the dogs as a husky, a Belgian Malinois, and a possible shepherd mix. Antioch Animal Services opened case #25-9756, and the Antioch Herald reported that the homeowners believed to own the dogs had not cooperated with investigators.

Why Loose Dogs Are a Neighborhood Safety Problem

The attack happened on a residential street near John Muir Elementary during a routine morning walk, the kind of place where neighbors, children, and pets are out every day. When several large dogs are loose together, even a person who is never bitten can be badly hurt trying to protect a pet or a child, knocked down, or forced into traffic.

This article does not assign blame. Who owns the dogs, how they got out, and what happened in the moments before the attack are questions for Antioch Animal Services and the police investigation.

How California Law Treats Injuries Like These

California's dog bite statute, Civil Code section 3342, makes an owner strictly liable when their dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, even if the dog never showed aggression before. Thomson's reported injuries came from falling while defending his dog rather than from a bite, and injuries like that are usually evaluated under ordinary negligence rules, including whether the owner let the dogs run loose in violation of local leash requirements.

California generally treats pets as personal property, so losses tied to the death of a pet are handled differently than a person's injuries. The injured person's own medical bills, lost income, pain, and limitations after surgery are separate damages.

When the owner is identified, a homeowner's or renter's insurance policy often responds to dog-related injury claims. When the owner cannot be confirmed, evidence becomes everything: doorbell and security camera video, witness statements, Animal Services records, and veterinary and medical records. That is why the family's request for footage from roughly 8 to 9 a.m. that morning matters. Anyone with video from the area can contact Antioch Animal Services and reference case #25-9756.

If you were hurt by a dog in Antioch, our Antioch dog bite lawyer page explains how these claims work locally, and our Antioch personal injury lawyer page covers every type of injury case we handle in East County.