Two Australian Shepherds Attack 13 Year Old Boy

CatStina

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#1
Teen bit six times will likely have to undergo plastic surgery

Posted: 12/25/2012

By: Jacqueline Ingles

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/ne...ar-old-boy-being-attacked-by-dogs-both-bitten

BRADENTON, Fla. - Two Australian Shepherd dogs are the Grinches who managed to ruin the Christmas holiday for Justin Curtis and his family.
The dogs left him with stitches and on crutches after attacking him on Christmas Eve as he tried to give the mailman a letter his father forget to send out.

"As soon as they got close enough they just sank their teeth right into my right leg," said Justin.

On his bike, Justin tried to fend the dogs off. It didn't work and they ended up dragging him to the ground. During the attack they bit him six times. A bite to his left calf was so bad it exposed muscle.

Manatee County deputies say the dogs escaped from a house on Morning Glory Circle while the owner was at work. Apparently, a window was open in the house and the dogs managed to jump through the screen.

"I just couldn't lay there. I just had to keep fighting," Justin explained.

A neighbor by the name of Bob-who declined to speak on-camera--happened to be driving by when the attack occurred and told Justin to jump in. Soaked with blood, Justin ran to the car.

"I initially thought he was hit by the car that brought him home," said Jessey Curtis, Justin's father.

The Curtis family was getting ready to head to a holiday party. Instead, they took off toward the hospital.

Justin's mother is a nurse and was able to wrap his wounds in gauze. The only thing she couldn't control was his pain during the long drive from Bradenton to Downtown St. Petersburg.

Justin needed five stitches and will need dozens more once his wounds drain. He didn't sustain any nerve damage but it is likely he will have to undergo plastic surgery and get skin grafts on his left leg.

He will also be on crutches for at least the next two weeks.

"I'm just thankful for the guy in the SUV. He saved my life," Justin added.

Officers with Manatee Animal Control now have both dogs. They will decide on Wednesday whether or not to put the dogs down.

The Curtis family has since talked to the owner of the dogs. They described her as "upset." She has since left town.

"It didn't seem to be a negligent situation so I just think we will have to forgive and forget," Jessey Curtis added.
 

Fran101

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Poor kid :( on christmas no less..

If your dogs are aggressive.. why not use crates? dog runs? something..
 

noludoru

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#5
This amount of damage to a kid - assuming it's not exaggerated - is pretty serious. It's not going to be a popular opinion, but if the dogs can't be managed in crates or covered runs, I think they need to be PTS. It's not a case of one little bite, that's an actual attack.
 

CatStina

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This amount of damage to a kid - assuming it's not exaggerated - is pretty serious. It's not going to be a popular opinion, but if the dogs can't be managed in crates or covered runs, I think they need to be PTS. It's not a case of one little bite, that's an actual attack.
The damage is pretty severe. If you go to the link, there is a video and you can see the wrapped bites. No worries, there are no wounds showing, but there is bloody gauze and the wounds seem pretty extensive and severe. The dogs definitely should be put down. According to one article (http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/20424302/2012/12/26/boy-13-attacked-by-dogs) he tried to fend the dogs off with his bike, but was unable to, and the man who came to help him was also bitten.

And, yes, if the dogs were "pit bulls" they would have been PTS or shot by police AND the article would have mentioned the breed in the title (like I did). Also the title would have said "mauled" or "viciously attacked" rather than "Teen bit six times" (ok... by what/who?).
 

xpaeanx

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#7
With just the information reported, If they were my dogs I would PTS. Dogs that flat out attack unprovoked are not safe no matter how "contained" you think they are. These dogs jumped through a screen, I've come home to my dogs having escaped their crates, what happens next time they escape and there is no one driving by to rescue the next person? That's not something I could be responsible for.
 

Fran101

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With just the information reported, If they were my dogs I would PTS. Dogs that flat out attack unprovoked are not safe no matter how "contained" you think they are. These dogs jumped through a screen, I've come home to my dogs having escaped their crates, what happens next time they escape when there is no one driving by? That's not something I could be responsible for.
I agree.

if the owner knew the dogs tended to be aggressive..they should have been better contained.
but now that they know what the dogs are capable of.. there's no way I'd be able to trust these dogs :( PTS would be my next step as well frankly..
 

CatStina

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I would definitely PTS, as well. No court order would be necessary if a dog of mine did that to a child.
 

Flyinsbt

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#10
I would certainly PTS if they were mine. The part I'm not getting is... the owner left town. Huh? Wouldn't you want to be dealing with the situation before you left?
 
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Did anyone else watch the video? I wonder how old the dogs are, they don't mention it in the article but on the video the newswomen says "one of the dogs was a therapy dog for a decade", interesting.
 

Dogdragoness

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#13
I hate to sound like 'this' but if they were pit bulls...those dogs would be DEAD right now.
I don't mean to rag on Aussies, but I heve met a lot Aussies with this "kind" of temperament, one was owned by an agility trainer :/.

They are a very overbred breed unfortunately ... At least here in my area & I am sad to say that I see a lot of unstable Aussies that would be capable of this kind of act.

Yeah the owner was "upset" alright ... She left town :/
 

Dogdragoness

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#15
This is not the way I would have wanted to see this happen but I hope society starts to wake up & see that it is not JUST "pit bulls" that have the potential to be aggressive or dangerous ... ANY breed, even one known for its friendliness or at the very least not known for this level of aggression can be made into a monster by the wrong owner/home.
 

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