Child badly hurt when dogs attack him in Surry

www2.journalnow.com

JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
Published: September 26, 2009
Updated: 09/26/2009 01:05 am

PINNACLE --A 5-year-old boy was severely injured in a dog attack near Pilot Mountain yesterday, authorities said.

The boy was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center with bites on his head, neck and stomach, FOX8/WGHP reported last night. The child was in critical condition, a spokesman for emergency-medical workers said.

The Surry County EMS went to a road off Pinnacle Hotel Road about 3:30 p.m.

Investigators said that the boy was attacked while an adult was feeding several Rottweilers. The boy's grandfather told FOX8 that several dogs attacked the child.

About 20 other dogs were chained on the property where the attack occurred.

 

Rottweiler attack leaves boy critical

www.mtairynews.com

The Mount Airy News
by John Peters

A 5-year-old boy was in critical condition Friday night, hours after he was mauled by up to five Rottweilers at a relative’s house.

The boy, whom officials did not identify, was attacked by the dogs shortly after 4:30 p.m. at a home on Hillbilly Lane near Pilot Mountain.

John Shelton, Surry County Emergency Services director, said the attack happened after the boy apparently made his way into the dogs’ pen during feeding time. When EMS workers arrived on the scene the boy had been moved from the pen and was suffering from severe wounds to the head, neck, and abdomen. He was rushed to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Shelton said.

Bobby Gallimore, Surry County animal control director, said this is not the first time his office has been called to the house in question, although he is not aware of any prior attacks by the dogs.

“We have been out in the past on some complaints,” he said. “They (the dogs) all were restrained, or ordered to be restrained.” Gallimore said those calls occurred prior to his taking his present post with the department, so he wasn’t aware of the specifics of the cases. He did say in previous trips to the location animal control officers verified all of the dogs were up to date on their rabies vaccinations.

Gallimore said there were “in excess” of 20 dogs at the home, all of which were either kept in pens or chained. Despite the large number of animals, he said the location did not appear to be a breeding operation. “Anytime I’ve been there, I’ve never seen any puppies. Another officer of mine has never seen any puppies. There’s no signs of any abuse or neglect, there’s no signs of any kind of illegal activity,” he said.

Local officials gave out little information on the boy or the dog owners Friday. Gallimore said the owners and the victim were related.

Gallimore said when his officers arrived the victim hard already been removed from the scene and the dogs never escaped the pen. Shelton said he doesn’t believe any other people were injured in the attack.

Now, Gallimore said the dogs are being held in quarantine by the county and will remain there for the next ten days, as required by state law. Beyond that, he said the investigation will determine what happens next.

“Animal control is taking the lead in the investigation,” Atkinson said. “Then we’ll see if there are any kinds of criminal issues involved.”

Gallimore could not put a timetable on the probe Friday night.

All three of the officials say they can’t recall an animal attack this serious.

“We’ve had cases where we had people who were bitten, but I don’t know if we’ve had anything this severe or not,” the sheriff said.

Gallimore said he can’t recall anything with a child this young. “It’s definitely a tragic situation,” he said.

No Charges To Be Filed In Dog Attack

www.wxii12.com

Posted: 7:12 pm EDT September 25, 2009
Updated: 5:10 pm EDT September 28, 2009

PILOT MOUNTAIN, N.C. -- No charges will be filed against the grandparents of a 5-year-old boy who was mauled by five Rottweilers when he jumped into the dog's pen Friday, Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said Monday.

Rescuers said that when they arrived at the scene, they discovered that the child had been attacked by the five dogs as they were being fed. Relatives of the boy, whom they called "J.J.," said he jumped into the pen.

Atkinson called the incident an "awful accident."

"He went over the fence," said the boy's great-grandmother, Betty Childress. "I don't know what, if he was fighting at them or playing with them, but when one started, then the rest started."

Police said they had been investigating whether the boy was invited by the person feeding the dogs.

The 5-year-old was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center with injuries to the head, neck and stomach. Emergency officials said his injuries were critical and required a trauma surgeon. He was recovering at the hospital Sunday.

Childress said the boy is no longer in critical condition. She said that, even a day after the incident, she doesn't know what caused the family dogs to attack.

"His face, his ears, his neck, they say he was cut through here," Childress said. "It breaks my heart that his face is all messed up."

Childress lives just down the road from where the attack happened. She wasn't there, but she said she won't forget the fear she felt when she heard the news.

"I was pretty upset all the rest of the day," she said. "They say you can love your grandkids. I love those grandkids just as much; they are my world."

There were about 30 dogs chained on the property where the attack occurred, EMS officials said.

While Gallimore said there is no limit to the number of dogs residents can have on county property.

Childress said what happened was shocking because both her great-grandsons grew up around the dogs and never had any issues in the past.

"He was raised with those dogs," she said.

Despite that, she said she plans to watch her grandchildren more closely in the future, hoping this situation never happens again.

"The kids we will have to watch more carefully, not let them around," Childress said.

Surry County Animal Control Director Bobby Gallimore said that the animals have been brought to a shelter in Dobson. Officials said they will be quarantined for nine more days, but their fate is yet unknown.