Dog that attacked child euthanized at owner’s request

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Tuesday, February 21. 2012

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A Homer child received a broken nose and other injuries Friday afternoon when a dog bit him and jumped at him. The dog was euthanized Tuesday at the request of the owner.

On Friday afternoon, Feb. 17, around 4:45 p.m. deputies with the Banks County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sullivan Drive off McCoy Bridge Road, Homer, in reference to the dog bite. Sheriff Charles Chapman said the deputies met a mother and her 5-year-old son that had been bitten.

“The mother told the deputies that her and her 5-year-old son were walking down the roadway and riding their bicycles,” Chapman said.

In the area of 116 Sullivan Drive, the sheriff said that the mother said that she stated to her son, “We need to turn and go back.”

“The mother said when she turned, she observed her son going to pet the dog that belongs to 116 Sullivan Drive at the base of the driveway,” Chapman said. “When she saw her son going towards the dog, she told him to stop and not to pet strange dogs or go near them.”

The sheriff said that the woman told the deputies that when she told him this, her son turned, as if to acknowledge her comment, and the dog, a black Lab/German Shepherd mix jumped at the boy and started biting him.

The child received several lacerations on his facial area and he also suffered a broken nose, Chapman stated. The child was transported by Banks County EMS to Athens Regional Medical Center where he underwent treatment and surgery on Friday night.

Chapman said the child was released from the hospital on Saturday.

Chapman said the deputies on the scene took photos of the child, the blood on the driveway and the puddle of blood a good distance down the driveway.

“The deputies, upon their arrival and having talked to the boy’s mother, called the Banks County Health Department,” Chapman said. “The health department instructed the owner of the dog to put the dog up for 10 days.”

On Monday, the owner contacted the sheriff’s office and said he had decided to have the dog euthanized. This was done on Tuesday.

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#1 DD on 02/21/12 at 01:17 PM [Reply]

Before or after Channel 5 came?

#1.1 Anonymous on 02/21/12 at 01:34 PM [Reply]

It was put down today, after channel 5 came!

#2 Anonymous on 02/21/12 at 01:45 PM [Reply]

This is somewhat strange once again. As of this morning, the vet was contacted and I was told they were holding the dog and plans were to put the dog down but could not do so until the County Marshal told them to. So who made the decision, not saying the owner did not agree but not so sure this is the whole truth either! I smell a dead rat and it's not being covered up well.

#2.1 No say it ain't so! on 02/21/12 at 07:50 PM [Reply]

A Dead Rat you say? Surely not in Banks County of all places. Isn't Banks, God's gift to rural Georgia? At least that's the impression I get.

#3 SAM EDWARDS on 02/21/12 at 05:01 PM [Reply]

YEAH ALWAYS GOT TO BLAME SOMEONE! GOT BLAME ON THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THE GOOD OLD TIGHT BANKS COUNTY FOLKS DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR ANIMAL CONTROL OR SHELTER DON'T WANT YOUR TAXES TO BE RAISED AND PAY A NEW COUNTY EMPLOYEE BUT RATHER PUT YOUR 2 CENT WHERE IT DON'T COUNT . YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT THE RAT DEAL JUST FIND THE CHEESE. WHEN ALL THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION GOSH SOMEONE JUST FORGOT TO TELL IT WAS A FAMILY DOG . I GUESS THEY FOR GOT. I REALLY HATE IT FOR THE LITTLE BOY BUT ALL YOU WHO LIKES DRAMA AND PUT ANONYMOUS DONT BE SCARED

#4 KD on 02/21/12 at 07:43 PM [Reply]

Still no one will say who this mystery dog owner is. If it was some crackhead with a pit bull they'd have his mug splashed all over the news. Different rules for different people I guess.

#5 stupid on 02/22/12 at 05:30 AM [Reply]

The dog gets killed why ? The child went on the property and after the mother freaked out the dog became aggressive.

The truth is that the mother scared that dog into becoming aggressive and by not telling the whole truth we get this circus in Banks County.

Is what happened to the child awful ? Yes but killing a dog that was doing it's job..protecting the owners property is stupid and useless.

#5.1 Very Stupid on 02/22/12 at 08:51 AM [Reply]

You're an idiot. Dogs shouldn't be trained to attack children riding bicycles down the road.

#5.1.1 r u 4 real? on 02/22/12 at 11:55 AM [Reply]

Where did the whole "Dog trained to attack children riding bicycles" come from? THe dog was a family pet. I have a minature dog that has no aggression, but if a stranger comes on to my property and a Mom freaks the dog out - yeah she might bite or she might run away. If she snapped at a person due to this activity you couldn't blame her. She is a dog for crying out loud-doing what a dog does. I hate it for both parties!
If it was my child I would probably be up in arms at the dog myself, but at some point you have to realize it is a dog- did it have a reputation for aggression?
NEXT- why does everyone like to come on here and post smart remarks about Banks County? I'm not originally from here, I moved here because I liked the area. Who gives a rip about the local politics? Complaining isn't going to help - if you don't like what you think you know you have choices -
1- run for office and fix it "your way"
2- move to the 'perfect rural area" where is that anyway?
3- make the best of what you have and not worry about the politics

#5.1.2 keith on 02/25/12 at 09:12 AM [Reply]

Yea you are very stupid. I would have killed the dog to start with there is a difference of dog being vicious and being protective.a vicious dog will attack with out warning a protective dog will give you warning to back up and will not attack unless family are being threatend.vicious or protective my dog,s stay up.

#6 Allison Cochran on 02/22/12 at 12:19 PM [Reply]

It should be assumed that the humans offering up opinions should be more intelligent than the dog in this case, but apparently not... Ideally, a person should get his or her facts straight before commenting. To clarify, the child WAS NOT in the dog's yard, just riding his bike in the subdivision, past the driveway where the dog lived.

To those who suggested that the dog attacked because the mother freaked out, were you present at the time of the attack??? Perhaps she should have spoken softly and tried to soothe the dog as it mauled her son's face. Or maybe she should have scolded her son for riding his bike past an aggressive dog, as the entire incident was clearly the fault of the child. Additionally, this dog sounds extremely well trained if it felt the need to protect it's property from a 5 year old little boy. I am sure he was a huge threat, as he rode his bike past the dog's driveway....all 50 or so pounds of him. (Pardon the sarcasm, that is my knee jerk response to stupidity).

If you think the animal was justified in protecting his territory, maybe you should do some reading on veterinary behavior and territorial aggression in dogs. This was not a first incident for this dog, but apparently was the norm. (For those who suggested that this type of aggression is normal or a dog "doing what a dog does", clearly we have different expectations of our family pets). If a dog is known to be aggressive over his territory, the owner should make sure the dog is properly contained so that no harm can come to a person passing by the driveway of the dog, where this animal was known to chase, threaten and attack people. Subdivision covenant states that animals are to be leash controlled or contained anyway, even the ones who are not aggressive. I have stated before in this situation, and will state again: Pet ownership is a LUXURY, not a PRIVILEGE. The owner of the pet is responsible for not only the well being of the pet, but also it's actions. The unfortunate result of the lack of responsibility assumed for a dog that was known to be aggressive was that the animal mauled an innocent 5 year old boy. It is both sickening and absurd that people would try to make the dog the victim and the child the one in the wrong. I am a veterinarian and an animal lover. I just happen to feel that too many non-aggressive, adoptable animals are euthanized in shelters all across this nation every day to let a dog that is both vicious and unpredictable live to harm another innocent child.

#6.1 Anonymous on 02/22/12 at 01:52 PM [Reply]

Allison,
Not taking up for the actions of the dog but did the story not state the 5 year old APPROACHED the dog? My neighbors 2 year old knows not to approach dogs. There is faults on both sides. Its not like the big bad dog stalked down the 5 year old and injured him. It is a tragic accident of nature. The dog is no more at fault than the child and mother. If there was such a history with this dog then they should have known to stay back and not approach him. If a horse bucks a rider should we put him down? A cow kicks the owner...put him down too? When we attempt to domesticate animals we have to accept the chances.

#6.1.1 Anonymous on 02/22/12 at 08:46 PM [Reply]

I LIVE in this neighborhood and this dog has a history of being aggressive towards people who walk, ride their bike or just by driving your vehicle by the dog which laid in the driveway at the edge of road and waited on his victims. I say victims because this dog has bitten multiple people. People in this neighborhood pay taxes in this county and have the right to walk these streets in our neighborhood, the dog does not! The owner has a responsibility and a liability to keep his dog on his property, not in the road! If this would have been my dog, I would have saved the county all this drama and put a bullet in the dog's head myself! This was an agressive dog and I feel sorry for the child and others that were injured. Some people were so afraid to walk in the neighborhood that they would carry big sticks to warn off this dog. The mother stopped the child, the dog attacked in the ROADWAY!! There was no way anyone could not approach this dog, because you had to pass it going in and going out. The mother nor the child did anything at all to provoke this horrid attack! Nor did the first child that was bitten. Think what you want, say what you want, but if you don't live in this neighborhood, then you could not possibly understand the torture this dog has caused! We are very thankful that the dog has been put down! Praying for a total recovery for this 5 year old as well as the nightmare for his mother! If this was you or your child's face that was mangled, you would be grateful the dog has finally been finally been taken care of!

#6.2 r u 4real on 02/22/12 at 08:25 PM [Reply]

Allison,
Before you start placing yourself as the most "intelligent" person and calling people stupid - you should be able to comprehend what you read.
I believe I asked, "did this dog have a reputation for aggression? if this is indeed the case - YES there should have been actions taken by the owner to make certain the dog never had the opportunity. Furthermore you are right maybe I should do more research before I make a statement like the dog "doing what a dog does" - Guess what I did, and I contacted 3 different vet's to get their opinion. Although I am not a professional vet like YOU I do know how to conduct research. Apparently you did not comprehend my earlier comments that led you to make the direct comments that you did. The information I have found and the vets I talked to all said the situation should have been avoided if the dog had a past and was properly taken care of and that this can be a normal behavior of a k-9 of specific breeds.
It sounds like you know the history of this dog from personal experience

#6.2.1 Anonymous on 02/23/12 at 08:43 AM [Reply]

First, I did not at any time declare myself the "most intelligent person". (Maybe YOU should try harder to comprehend what you read). While I commend you for your "research", I cannot agree that mauling a child is considered "normal" behavior for any dog of any breed. If you are interested in further research, I can direct you to texts or professionals who would back up my claim.

#7 Allison Cochran on 02/22/12 at 02:48 PM [Reply]

Perhaps the child did approach the dog (on the roadway/driveway, NOT in the dog's yard) but that does not in any way make the dog's reaction to approach excusable. This IS NOT normal behavior for a dog. "When we attempt to domesticate animals we have to accept the chances"?? I might agree with you if you were attempting to domesticate the local skunk population. However, dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years now and, as a result, certain behaviors are expected of them. We cannot excuse vicious attacks as normal behavior for a dog. (I personally believe that humans are sinful by nature, but that wouldn't provide adequate excuse for me to knock off the convenience store on my block). Veterinary behavior specialists (with 12+ years of education and research under their belts) will be the first to tell owners of aggressive dogs that this is not normal or excusable dog behavior, and euthanasia is a viable option for handling aggressive dogs, as they can never be fully trusted again. With a history of aggression in this dog, the argument should be why the child was ABLE to approach the animal. It should have been confined. If the owner of a dangerous dog is not concerned for the well being of passers-by, then maybe he or she should at least consider the liablilty that comes with owning such a creature.

I believe there is a MAJOR difference in dogs and horses and cows. While horses and cows are indeed domestic creatures, they are not companion animals. Typically they do not come into our homes, sleep in our beds, and live in our back yards. I certainly hope they aren't wandering around subdivisions.

The behavior of the dog was not the only consideration in the decision to euthanize this animal. Rabies tests were needed to keep a 5 year old child from undergoing further trauma and medical procedures. (My best understanding is that the dog did not have a current rabies vaccine, and if you look at the news, you will see that rabies is on the rise in our area, from the wildlife population, to a cow in Maysville).

#8 Hello? on 02/23/12 at 06:48 AM [Reply]

I'm right on the Banks/Jackson Co line and from what I hear, there's is no leash law in either? I'm wondering how many incidents of aggresive, loose animals attacking children and other people's pets it's going to take to implement one. Most of the time the law does absolutely nothing about it. "Put your dog on a leash" and the animal is back out wandering the neighborhood after a few days. I can't leave my yard to go for a run or walk my dog without knowing if there are mean animals loose. I mean... seriously. I hope the little boy feels better!

#9 Wanda Logan on 02/23/12 at 09:10 AM [Reply]

After carefully reading the above posts,it seems to me that r u for real wants to be considered an intelligent writer,as well as a move in, who knows it all. While I applaud you on your research, I'd like to mention-- you FORGOT TO PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR PAPER!!!!!

#10 Really???? on 03/15/12 at 05:29 PM [Reply]

looks like parent was not watching child child wrecked bike in driveway dog was scared or he ran over dog in drive way owner should sue 4 tresspassing but it is a subdivision i know both parties drama queen an good ole boy!!!!

#11 Denise on 04/05/12 at 01:21 PM [Reply]

There really should be an updated article posted about this situation. The mother was quick to call the news channels but I am sure she wouldn't want anyone to know all the childish drama she continues with over this situation...it all really should be posted for everyone to read!

#12 OH PLEASE!! on 04/09/12 at 08:25 AM [Reply]

I do not understand what your comment really means Denise, but as a mother myself, I will say she has a RIGHT to do or say everything she can. Her child was severly injured by a stupid vicious dog. She has every RIGHT!!

#12.1 Denise on 04/12/12 at 11:11 AM [Reply]

What is not to understand? Why hide behind an alias name "OH PLEASE"? It is really simple..it is not just about the child being bit by the dog anymore.

#13 Kay aka as OH PLEASE on 04/14/12 at 10:08 PM [Reply]

Denise, Your comment is so stupid!!! It really IS about the child being bit by the dumb, stupid, and now DEAD DOG.

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Dog that attacked child euthanized at owner’s request

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