After the latest in a series of dog attacks in Alachua County, residents and officials are looking for answers to what seems to be a growing trend.

The attack, which occurred Friday evening in the Northwood Pines neighborhood, left one dog injured when five pit bull type dogs escaped from a home.

Two of the dogs were killed on scene, one by a Gainesville Police officer and one by bystanders who were trying to rescue the dog being attacked. The other three dogs were taken in by Alachua County Animal Services.

"It's terrifying," said resident Lindsey Corbett. "Too close to home."

The same neighborhood was the scene of a dog attack in September that left a dog dead and the dog's owner injured. Nathaniel Pettiford, the owner of the three dogs described as pit bulls that were responsible in that attack, was charged with negligence and animal cruelty. The three dogs were eventually euthanized after being declared 'dangerous.'

"I don't want to have to be afraid that my kids are gonna get hurt or my dog is gonna get hurt if we take him on a walk," Corbett said.

Ed Williams, Director of Alachua County Animal Services, confirmed that Alachua County Animal Services had responded to both Pettiford and Davila's properties multiple times in regards to the condition of the animals.

Williams also said that one of the dogs may have belonged to Mr. Pettiford at one point, a claim made by a neighbor.

On Saturday, Gainesville City Commissioner Harvey Ward posted to Facebook, saying he plans to make dog attacks a subject of discussion at the commission meeting on April 4.

Meanwhile, Williams said he has been advocating for increased staffing of animal services officers in the field. Currently, ACAS employs six officers and three investigators in the field, with immediate plans to hire two more officers and one investigator.

Florida Animal Control Association, which is responsible for the statewide accreditation of animal control officers, has a recommended level of staffing for animal control agencies. FACA suggests one "field-deployed" animal control officer for every 15,000 to 18,000 county residents.

In total, Alachua County, which has a population of just under 267,000, should have 14 field-deployed animal control employees based on FACA recommendations. Currently employing nine field-deployed employees, ACAS is five short of that recommendation, but will only be short two after the new hires. A new county proposal could potentially give ACAS two more spots for officers, bringing the total to 14.

"That's sort of an industry standard, and something that I have supported," Williams said. "I am doing my part to try to get to that level as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, Marion County, with 17 field-deployed employees, is around two under the FACA recommendation for their population, while Columbia County, with three, is right around the recommendation.

In a conversation with TV20, Williams said staffing levels did not play a role in Friday evening's attack.

"If we don't have somebody who's willing to step forward and fill out an affidavit and sign it, have it notarized saying 'Yes, I saw this, this is what happened on this time, this date,' then there's nothing we can do about it," Williams said.

Ultimately, Williams said, the responsibility lies on the dog owners. Community members also must report aggressive dogs to ACAS, especially if the dogs are attacking pets or people.

"You don't want to have to think 'I'm in my neighborhood, minding my business, that I have to be afraid for my kid's life, afraid for my dog's life or afraid for my life in just doing your routine normal walk around the neighborhood," Corbett said.