Missouri Dog Bite Incident Injures 5 Year Old Boy
Charges were filed recently by the Cole County Prosecutor’s Office against an Elston woman whose dog is believed to have bitten a 5-year-old boy. This article about a Missouri dog bite incident in the News Tribune claims that the 19-year-old Elston woman has been charged with one count of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of misdemeanor animal abuse in connection with an incident which occurred on May 19, 2009.
The Cole County Sheriff’s Department said that the 5-year-old boy was released from the University of Missouri-Columbia Hospital after receiving treatment for a dog bite to the right side of his face. The child’s injury was described as a large cut from the bottom of his chin to near his right ear that required over 100 stitches to close.
The dog bite incident occurred around 8 p.m. while the boy was playing in the back yard of his home on Old Stage Road. The dog bite victim’s father claims that the boy was playing when a large brown Mastiff dog appeared and bit the child on his head. The dog’s owner told Cole County deputies that she was aware that her dog was running loose and knew of another incident this spring where her dog had bitten someone but wondered whether or not it had actually happened. After conducting an investigation, the Cole County Sheriff’s Department said that the same dog had bitten a 5-year-old girl riding her bicycle in March. The girl suffered two puncture wounds and the Missouri dog bite incident was witnessed by a member of her family.
Due to a miscommunication between the girl’s mother and the doctor who treated her wounds, the dog bite incident was never reported to law enforcement officials and investigated. A few days later, the girl’s grandmother spoke with a Cole County Animal Control officer about the dog bite incident and the officer informed the dog’s owner about her responsibilities to maintain control over the dog. The dog is also believed to have bitten a motorcycle rider although neither the rider nor a witness reported the dog bite incident to law enforcement authorities.
It is the dog owner’s responsibility to protect others from being attacked and harmed by their animal and when a dog attacks a young child, the results can be tragic. If you or someone you care for has been bitten by a dog, the experienced Missouri dog bite lawyers at St. Louis personal injury law firm Page Cagle may be able to help. In addition to helping you receive compensation to offset the expenses of medical treatment for injuries caused by the dog bite, their Missouri dog bite attorneys can also hold the dog’s owner responsible for their animal’s behavior and prevent the dog from hurting anyone else. Call 866-620-5757 today and schedule a free consultation with the St. Louis dog bite lawyers at the Missouri personal injury law firm Page Cagle.
