It was a busy night for deputies dealing with two very different animal attacks — one involving a child taken to the hospital with facial injuries, and another where a deer hunter says he was forced to defend himself when two dogs charged out of the woods.
Child Taken to ER After Being Bitten in the Face
It started with a panicked call from a babysitter: the family dog had bitten an 8-year-old in the face.
According to a report from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, the child had been staying with a babysitter when the family was notified that the boy had been bitten. His mother immediately turned the car around, picked up both children, and drove to the hospital.
Deputies met the family at the ER, where the child arrived wearing a blood-stained camouflage shirt. Several lacerations were visible on his right cheek, and swelling had already begun to spread up toward his eye.
After gathering statements and photographs from the family, deputies went to the babysitter’s residence for interviews. The adults there said the children had been wrestling on a bed where the family dog was lying under the covers. When both kids landed on the bed, the startled dog lunged and bit the boy in the face.
The family said the dog had never bitten anyone before and appeared remorseful about the incident.
Deputies inspected the dog, advised the family to quarantine it for at least 10 days, and explained that a citation would be issued to address the matter in municipal court. The dog was not taken from the home.
Hunter Says He Shot Dog After Being Attacked in the Woods
In a completely separate incident later that night, deputies were called to a rural property after a man reported being attacked while deer hunting.
The man told deputies he was on his family’s ridge property when two dogs ran out of the woods barking and advancing toward him. He said the black dog latched onto his arm, tearing his coat sleeve. He kicked it away and struck it with the butt of his rifle.
When the dog continued to come at him, he fired his weapon, killing it. The second dog ran off. The man told deputies he did not know who owned either animal.
Deputies photographed the torn sleeve and collected images of the deceased dog for documentation. The man reported firing two additional shots after getting loose.
No charges were filed at the time of the report.
