Child Returns Home After Dog Attack

Saturday, June 23, 2007
www.tylerpaper.com
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
(Staff Photos By Herb Nygren Jr.)

Her little head is stitched and stapled and her eyes appear to show the pain she feels from the recent dog attack where her scalp was “torn to pieces.”

Jacie Konrad is healing faster than her parents could imagine and doctors are confident she will make a full recovery.

After two days in the hospital 2-year-old Jacie and her family went home for the first time since she was bitten on the head.

“I am so glad that she is here with us now. I know that we are very lucky that she is alive,” Stacey Miller said.

Ms. Miller and Christopher Konrad sat down with the Tyler Morning Telegraph Friday evening to talk about the attack of Jacie earlier this week and to express their belief that changes are needed in Smith County’s leash law.

Christopher Konrad, father of Jacie Konrad, 2, talks about the dog attack that injured the child Wednesday. His two Siberian huskies were destroyed because they didn't have current vacinations.

“I just hate to see her go though this, but if this opens some eyes and changes are made then maybe another child will not have to go through this,” Konrad said. “Smith County has to do something about all of the strays and they need to make the laws stricter.”

(Note: Please notice that Konrad doesn't even see a problem with having his dogs chained in the yard, unspayed, and takes no responsibility for his part in what has happened...the bottom line is, if you have dogs chained and unspayed, they WILL attract other dogs...if they are spayed, and in your house or in a fenced yard, they will not attract stray dogs, and stray dogs will not be able to get into the yard even if they do come around to see your dogs.)

THE ATTACK

Authorities said the incident happened shortly before 12 p.m. Wednesday when the child walked from the front of the house where her mother was mowing grass around back where Konrad’s two Siberian huskies were chained at his home on Hebron Road in Tyler.
Smith County Constable John Smith and deputy constable Joe King, an animal control officer, contend the female husky was in heat and attracted three stray dogs including a pit bull mix and a half timber wolf.

King and Smith believe Jacie was seen as a threat by the male dogs competing for the female.

Ms. Miller said she was mowing her yard and had told Jacie to stay on the porch. When she turned around Jacie was gone.

“I heard this sound and didn’t know if it was her laughing or crying then she came around the house and blood was just pouring from her head,” she said choking back tears. “Her little head was torn up and her skull was showing and I freaked out.”

Ms. Miller said she grabbed Jacie up and ran to her neighbors’ home where she called 911.

“I was so scared that I don’t remember a lot, but it seems like the ambulance got there really quick,” she said.

Waiting at East Texas Medical Center were a team of trauma doctors ready to begin treatment.

DOCTOR SPEAKS

Dr. Dennis Spence, oral maxillofacial surgeon, was Jacie’s doctor and said her injuries were traumatic, but that she would make a complete recovery.

“Her injuries could have been a lot worse. If the jaws of the dog would have been an inch to the left or right then she could have lost an ear, her nose or an eye,” he said.

Dr. Spence wanted to express that the injuries Jacie sustained were from what he called a defensive bite from one dog and not a mauling by a pack of dogs.

“There were a lot of lacerations like if someone would have if they went through a windshield,” he said. “This was a double snap bite meaning the dog probably snapped at the child very quickly twice. Had this been a pack attack then the child would have been bitten all over.”

Dr. Spence said he believes people should be more aware of their children and animals, and children and big dogs, or over aggressive dogs, do not mix.

He added, “Any time you have a female in heat, or with small puppies, then that dog should be kept in an enclosure and away from children.”

He also suggested that people report strays and that laws need to be changed.

“We desperately need leash laws. I’m the guy that gets called into the emergency room to deal with these injuries every time and I have done a lot of dog bites,” he said. “I’d be thrilled and delighted if I never had to work another dog bite again.”

For minor dog bites Dr. Spence suggested cleaning the wound with liquid Ivory soap, which he said is proven to be a great agent to help with bites. For more serious bites he said the bleeding needs to be controlled with pressure and the proper authorities need to be contacted.

“We could have been reading an obituary here if this would have been a pack attack instead of reading that she is recovering,” he said. “The good news is that she is doing well and she will continue doing well.”

VACCINATE YOUR PETS

Konrad surrendered his dogs to authorities to be put to sleep and be tested for rabies because he could not produce verification the dogs had been inoculated.

“I know my female was about 2 weeks from needing her shots but I couldn’t find the papers,” he said. “My male had not been vaccinated yet because I had been putting it off hoping to get them both done at the same time. This was my own carelessness.”

Konrad’s dogs, the pit bull and the timber wolf/mix were all put down and their heads were sent to Austin where they will be tested for the deadly disease.

One dog remains on the loose and King has been to the location several times to attempt to catch the animal.

Konrad said he and Ms. Miller were told the tests on the four dogs for rabies came back negative, and the couple did not believe Jacie would have to undergo any rabies treatment.

“My dogs were good dogs and I can’t believe they were put down, but this cannot happen again,” he said. “If people have dogs then they need to be vaccinated.”

Ms. Miller agreed, “People need to really realize how important it is to take care of their dogs. I hate to lose our dogs that she played with every day, but we are lucky that Jacie is OK.”

In recent months Smith County commissioners have looked at ways to update the county’s dog leash law and a wave of serious attacks have kept the issue in the forefront.

A Smith County deputy constable had to shoot a pit bull last week when two dogs attacked her as she investigated an earlier attack that sent a man to the hospital.

“We need more help and we need stricter laws,” Smith said.

2-Year-Old Girl Attacked
By Dog Recovering in ICU

Thursday, June 21, 2007
www.tylerpaper.com
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

A 2-year-old girl remains in ICU after being attacked by a pack of dogs in her Smith County backyard Wednesday afternoon.

Rebecca Berkley, East Texas Medical Center spokesperson, said Jacie Konrad is listed in fair condition in the intensive care unit, but no additional information was available Thursday morning.

Smith County Constable John Smith and deputy constable Joe King, an animal control officer, contends a female Husky owned by the girl’s family was in heat and attracted three stray dogs including a pit bull mix.

Smith, King and other officials went to the home after hospital personnel contacted law enforcement about the dog attack.

Deputy Constable and Animal Control Officer Joe King (left) and Pct. 4 Constable John Smith investigate the mauling of a 2-year-old girl Wednesday on Hebron Road east of Tyler.

“The doctor told Smith County Sheriff deputies the child suffered deep puncture wounds, a torn scalp, deep lacerations and a punctured skull,” Smith said. “This is very unfortunate and very tragic.”

King said the child probably got in the middle of male dogs competing for the female and was bitten.

Though the Konrad family’s dogs were chained, the yard is not fenced.

“We don’t know which animal bit the child so we have to look at all of the animals in this case including the Konrad’s dogs,” he said.

Smith said Thursday morning that he and King retrieved another of the suspected dogs late Wednesday.

“We got a part Timber wolf which weighs about 100 pounds and is not very kid friendly,” he said.

Smith said he took the dog to his home Wednesday night to put in a kennel because the Smith County Humane Society was closed.

“He tore a hold in the kennel and was lying out by my house so I put him on a logging chain,” he said. “While I was putting the dog on the chain he bared his teeth at my son.”

Three of the dogs had no proof of rabies vaccinations and have been put down to be tested, but Smith said he didn’t know about the Timber wolf mix.