Cocoa – According to a Brevard County communications director Don Walker, the owner of two pit bulls that attacked a 10-year-old boy as he was walking outside of his home has been given four citations and potentially faces additional citations.
The owner of the two pit bulls lives in the Sunrise Village development in Cocoa. Two of the woman's citations were for failure to vaccinate and the other two were for failure to obtain animal license tags for her dogs. Walker also said that the dogs' owner will likely receive additional citations for failing to properly secure her animals and for an animal inflicting severe injuries on a child.
Walker said that the child was walking past the trailer the dogs were in; when for unknown reasons the dogs aggressively attacked the child as he passed by. Walker suspected that the dog's owner may have been taking the dogs outside at the moment the child passed by.
The 10-year-old boy had sustained multiple bites to his face and head, and received medical treatment at Wuesthoff Medical Center – Rockledge.
Walker said that the pit bulls were being held for a 10 day quarantine by the Brevard County Animal Services and Enforcement. Although the vicious dog hearing is pending, the two dogs will mostly likely be euthanized unless their owner decides to file an appeal. Walker also said that the Animal Services and law enforcement officers believe that these two dogs had not been properly socialized.
A few other states have what are known as "one bite" laws, where the dog owner is not liable unless the dog in question has bitten someone before, but in Florida, dog owners are "strictly liable" for the injuries their dog inflicts on another person. That is, a dog owner is liable for the injuries caused by their dog, even if it is the first time the dog has bitten someone. Unfortunately, a large percentage of dog bite victims are children due to their smaller size and stature. Children typically sustain wounds to the face, neck and head, which often times requires multiple reconstructive surgeries and thousands of dollars in medical bills. If you or someone you know has been attacked by a vicious or improperly socialized dog, then we urge you to contact High Stack Gordon Kirby to explore all of your options. You may be entitled to compensation for all of your economic and non-economic losses under a premises liability claim. Please call us today to schedule your initial consultation.