In one of our blog posts last week, we discussed who could be held responsible for dog bites in Florida. Deciding who can be held liable for the injuries is important because some victims of dog bites suffer from serious injuries that require significant medical care. A recent case in Florida news is an example of the damage a dog bite can do.
The incident occurred on March 18, when a 2-year-old girl was attacked by a dog. The girl’s mother drove her van to a pine field where they were going to have lunch with the girl’s uncle. The girl’s father was there. He opened the door to the van she was in and picked her up. He then placed her on the floorboard of the vehicle and walked 50 to 60 feet away. He then heard screaming.
When he ran back to the van, the dogs were attacking his daughter. While the attack is said to be unprovoked according to the reports from the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, the father suggests that maybe the dogs smelled chicken on his daughter because she had eaten some earlier in the day.
The three dogs that attacked the young girl were noted to be unfriendly dogs by an animal control officer. One of the dogs was vaccinated against rabies, but the other two were not. Those dogs were being quarantined at a kennel located at the owner’s residence.
This dog attack left the young child with wounds on her upper torso, back, shoulders, and face. She has already undergone a surgery to fix wounds on her cheeks, eye, and ear. She is facing the likelihood of having to undergo cosmetic surgery in the future. Now, her parents are left to cope with the devastating effects of this dog attack.
Source: Suwannee Democrat, “Updated: Dog attacks 2-year-old girl” Amber Vann, Mar. 19, 2015
