4-year-old in 'fair' condition:
Dog was chained at time of attack


Published: August 09, 2007
By PAUL STONE
The Palestine Herald

PALESTINE — A 4-year-old Slocum girl who sustained severe injuries from a pit bull attack Tuesday night was listed in “fair” condition at a Tyler hospital Wednesday.

Destaney Till, 4, of Slocum suffered severe lacerations to her right shoulder and a broken right arm as a result of being attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday at a residence on Texas 294 inside the Slocum city limits, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor.

Following the attack, Till was lifeflighted to Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler where she underwent surgery Tuesday night, according to the sheriff.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, Till remained at the Tyler hospital where she was listed in “fair” condition, according to spokesperson John Moore.

The girl’s mother, 33-year-old Tina Till of Slocum, suffered bite wounds to her left arm when she was also attacked by the pit bull after coming to her daughter’s aid, according to authorities.

In an effort to halt the attack, a neighbor shot and killed the pit bull from close range with a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, according to the sheriff.

The deceased animal was “iced” overnight and scheduled to be sent to Texas A&M University in College Station for rabies testing, Taylor said. The dog appeared to be current on its shots, he added.

At the time of the attack, Taylor said Destinay Till and at least two other children were in the partially-fenced front yard of the girl’s neighbor, along with the pit bull and a boxer.

The pit bull was chained at the time of the attacks, the sheriff said.

The boxer, which was also chained, was a good distance away from the children, he added.

“There were several kids outside playing from what I understand,” Taylor said. “Apparently, this is not the first time this little child had been around this dog. Unfortunately pit bulls are very unpredictable.”

The young girl was reportedly attacked by the pit bull after reaching for and picking up “some kind of toy,” the sheriff stated.

“During the attack, Destinay received severe lacerations to her right shoulder and it broke her (right) arm,” Taylor said. “...They’re not clear how much damage was done to the nerves and all of that.

“I don’t think she’s going to lose a limb,” he continued, “but we don’t know the severity of the nerve damage to the arm.”

The girl also had “bite wounds to the back of her head,” in addition to “one laceration to her lip,” according to Taylor.

Tina Till “received some pretty bad gashes to her left arm” when she was attacked by the dog after being informed her daughter was under attack.

After also being lifeflighted from the scene, Tina Till was treated and released from Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, according to the sheriff.

Taylor estimated the total length of the attacks was “probably three-to-five minutes.”

The sheriff said Tuesday’s incident is being investigated as “a dog-biting” incident.

“Criminally, we don’t see anything,” Taylor said. “It (the dog) was on its own property, penned in its own yard.”

Taylor, however, urged pit bull owners to be cautious with their animals.

“Pit bulls are unpredictable,” the sheriff said. “People who own pit bulls need to be careful with their dogs around small children and the elderly...When they strike, they strike with a vengeance.”
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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com