YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County’s deputy county dog warden Dave Nelson was stabbed in the arm while responding to an animal call at Myrtle and Oak Hill avenues at about 3:20 p.m. Tuesday.

He was transported to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and was in stable condition Tuesday evening.

The man accused of the assault was taken into custody by the Youngstown Police Department. The department would not release the name of the person who was arrested.

Dianne Fry, Mahoning County dog warden, said Nelson was being assisted by Youngstown police and Animal Charity when a man “came out of nowhere and stabbed him.”

Fry said Nelson is “doing OK,” but has a lot of pain. Doctors were treating him when she was at the hospital and she could only see him a short time, she said. Fry also went to the scene of the stabbing.

The dog warden’s office does not have body cameras yet, but a Youngstown police officer witnessed the attack.

“Hopefully this will be a quick investigation and this can be taken care of,” Fry said.

Ironically, the Mahoning County commissioners approved an agreement last Thursday with Intrensic LLC to provide body cameras and annual subscription services for the county dog warden’s office at a cost of $6,804 for the first year.

Fry said the body cameras are “because it’s becoming so dangerous. Body cameras don’t lie, and we’re worried about the safety or our people out there.”

Fry said she’s not aware of an incident like what happened to Nelson during her time as dog warden, dating back to July 2003.

“People threaten,” she said. “You hear a lot of things, but as far as actually someone being attacked, it’s the first time we’ve had something like this since I’ve been dog warden.”