Pit bull-type dog attacks in Columbia close SC state forest to the public

After several days of vicious attacks on joggers by pit bull-type dogs, Harbison State Forest park has been closed by the S.C. Forestry Commission.

The closure, which took effect Monday, July 14, at noon, will last until at least noon Thursday, July 17, when conditions will be re-evaluated, the commission posted to Facebook shortly after noon on Monday.

Although the attacks took place on Friday and Saturday, a road race took place early Sunday morning at the park. The Koala Bottle Harbison Half Marathon & 5K attracted more than 100 entrants, according to race results posted on the internet.

The commission chose not to close Harbison State Forest before the Sunday race after event organizers said they wanted to continue, said Russell Hubright, a spokesman for the state agency. The thinking was that so many people would be running in the race that the dogs would not approach them. Visitors who have encountered the dogs were alone, and the animals ran away after others came to assist, he said.

Hubright also said the commission had more information Monday, which prompted its decision to close the nature preserve. Hubright said the commission may be providing more information to the public, possibly photographs the agency has received that appear to be the dogs involved in the attacks. Authorities were still looking for the dogs Monday afternoon.

“Not in my recollection have we had a dog attack like this ’’ involving people, Hubright said. “Every once in a while, there will be a dog that’s attacked by another dog.’’ He said people are supposed to keep their dogs on leashes at Harbison.

Harbison State Forest is a 2,100-acre nature preserve nine miles from downtown Columbia. It is popular with joggers, mountain bikers, canoeists and nature lovers. It attracts some 200,000 users annually.

On Friday afternoon, Connor McNeill, 19, a recent graduate of Irmo High School, was attacked as he was jogging in Harbison by two pit bull-type dogs that tried to bite him, he said. He fought them off for more than 30 minutes, most of the time while he was standing on a stump and kicking them and hitting them with his fists.

McNeill, an ultra marathoner and weight lifter who is in exceptional physical shape, said he doubted if a child or an out-of-shape person could have survived what he went through.

While on the stump, he managed to call a relative who drove her car down an unpaved road to reach him, he said. Her presence finally made the dogs leave, he said.

“If it was a couple of minutes later, I would definitely not be here. Those dogs, they were aiming for my neck,” said McNeill, who is getting into even better physical shape these days because he’s going to basic training at the U.S. Army’s Fort Jackson.

On Saturday morning, federal prosecutor Winston Holliday, 57, was attacked while setting out on a jog in Harbison, apparently by the same two dogs that attacked McNeill the afternoon before. But Holliday suffered multiple injuries that required 17 stitches as a result of dog bites.

Both Holliday and McNeill described large and well-muscled pit bull-type dogs that methodically circled them, one hanging back while the other lunged at them.

The commission Facebook statement said in part:

“In response to these recent events and the ongoing threat, Harbison State Forest will be closed from Monday, July 14, at 12:00 p.m. to Thursday, July 17, at 12:00 p.m. when officials will reevaluate conditions.

“The SCFC is working with City of Columbia Animal Control Services to install dog traps at the State Forest, and personnel are installing signage to alert people of the situation. Agency personnel will continue to patrol the State Forest. There have been no known sightings of the dogs on SCFC property since Saturday morning.

“Friday afternoon, a teen was cornered by two large, aggressive dogs. The dogs left only when additional people arrived to help. No injuries were reported. SCFC personnel searched the forest until dusk but were unable to locate the animals.

“Saturday around 8:15am, the State Forest’s manager learned of an attack on a trail user as EMS and Columbia PD officers were responding to the incident at the forest. The trail user was alone when he was attacked by two large dogs, and the dogs only stopped the attack when another trail user came upon them. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the attack.

“After communicating with other agencies located on Broad River Road, the SCFC learned of a similar dog sighting on Wednesday, July 9, on neighboring property near Geology Road off Broad River Road. Agency personnel will continue to keep in touch with neighboring agencies to assess any possible threats to the safety of Harbison State Forest users.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 6:20 PM.