5-year-old Lugoff girl attacked by dog


Brandi Cummings, WIS10
March 25, 2008

LUGOFF, SC (WIS) - A 5-year-old girl was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon after being attacked and bitten by a dog in Lugoff.

Kershaw County Sheriff Steve McCaskill says the girl was walking down Dry Branch Road when a dog attacked her. McCaskill says the dog bit her in the head and ran off.

The girl was taken to Palmetto Health Richland Memorial for treatment.

"Trinity was going near that wild dog and then she got attacked by him," says the victim's cousin, Jada. They're words from a six-year-old that no parent wants to hear.

"She looked all bloody on her," says Jada. Jada and her five-year-old cousin Trinity were playing in their yard when they got to close to a neighbor's dog and the dog bit trinity on the head.

Kurt Robichaud and his brother were inside cooking. "My daughter came running in the house and she said, 'Dad, Trinity, Trinity,'" recalls Robichaud.

Robichaud and his brother found Trinity covered in blood, with the dog standing over her. Jada says the dog was lying on its chain. She was standing a few steps back, but her cousin was closer.

"I was terrified, relieved my daughter wasn't involved, but absolutely terrified for my niece," says Kurt.

WIS was there as Kershaw County Animal Control officials took away the dog accused of attacking the little girl. Officials say it's an adult mixed breed.

"He was not real helpful, but he wasn't bad. He didn't try to attack us or anything. He was just scared mostly and he was a big animal," says Bill Mosely.

The dog's owner wasn't home when animal control was there, but we did catch up with him.

"I don't care to be bothered right now. We'll talk later," they told WIS.

Robichaud moved to Lugoff from New Hampshire on Thursday. He doesn't know any of his neighbors.

"Our girls shouldn't have been over by the dogs without us talking to the owner and seeing how the dog's demeanor was," he said. Robichaud loves dogs. This attack doesn't change that, but Robichaud doesn't want to see the dog running free.

"You never know what that dog could do to somebody else. If it's attacked once it probably going to attack again. In my opinion I think that dog should be euthanized," he says.

According to Kershaw County Animal Control Officials, the dog is in quarantine for ten days.