ST. LOUIS — "I was just walking through the alley after throwing away my neighbor's trash," said Kevin Davis.
Moments after his good deed, the 23-year-old said he suddenly had a terrifying encounter with three dogs in his north St. Louis neighborhood.
"I remember first hearing the barking," Davis told 5 On Your Side's Robert Townsend during an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
"That was the first time I had seen those three dogs," said Davis.
The dogs attacked the 130-pound, 6-foot tall man.
"They started biting my ankles. After that they started biting me even harder," he remembered after he left the hospital and returned home, still wearing a hospital bracelet and scrubs.
The pit bull terriers bit him on his arms, fingers and legs.
It happened about a block away from his home in the Penrose Neighborhood.
"I didn't know what to do. After that I started fighting back," said Davis.
"Fighting" for his life.
"They were ripping up my arms, pulling all up on me. One of those vicious dogs ripped off one my fingernails," Davis said.
The St. Louis man said after he tossed out his neighbor's trash, he walked across a park and walked home.
He says the dogs dashed out of nowhere and attacked him.
A trembling and scared Kevin Davis finally got away from the three pit bull, but only after he hopped over a tall fence.
"One of the dogs tried to jump over the fence, bit me and gripped me over and tried to pull me back over the fence. I thought I would die. I didn't know they killed one person and injured another man," said Davis.
Police say the night before Davis' attack, the same dogs, mauled and killed his neighbor, 62-year-old Dennis Moore in an alley on San Francisco Avenue.
"I knew Dennis. He always walked the neighborhood with his dog. I actually was going to mate my pit bull with his. He was a cool guy," said Davis.
Police say the three dogs also attacked a 92-year-old man who was also taking out trash.
At last report, that victim was still in the hospital.
Meanwhile, Davis' relieved family, including his beloved, 14-month-old American pit bull, Hennessy, are all glad to have him back home.
"I'm so very grateful because I thought he was gone. I mean that dog bit his left arm down to the bone," said Linda Davis, the man's mom.
"I go back to the hospital on Friday. I'm just glad to be here with everybody. Yes, I feel lucky," said Kevin.
St. Louis Animal Control seized three dogs they say are being housed at their shelter relating to the investigation.
5 On Your Side’s Christine Byers and Pepper Baker contributed to this story.