A pit bull attacked a 6-year-old Hollister girl, leaving two
large gashes on her face, after the girl’s mother found the dog
wandering near her home and took it in for the night, according to
police.
A pit bull attacked a 6-year-old Hollister girl, leaving two large gashes on her face, after the girl’s mother found the dog wandering near her home and took it in for the night, according to police.
The adult male pit bull-German shepherd mix was wandering in the 200 block of Line Street around 4pm on Sunday when a 26-year-old Hollister woman found the dog, decided it was friendly and took it into her home because the local animal shelter was closed, according to Hollister Police department spokesman George Ramirez.
The woman told police she planned to take the dog to the San Benito County Animal Shelter Monday morning, however just before 11pm, the dog jumped on her 6-year-old daughter and bit her on the face, Ramirez said.
The attack, which officials say was unprovoked, left two, 2-inch gashes along the girl’s face. While Ramirez did not know if the girl was taken to the hospital, he said the gashes appeared to need stitches.
The dog, which lives several blocks away from where the attack took place, will be held in quarantine at the shelter for a minimum of 10 days, said shelter supervisor Julie Carrero.
Carrero said this particular dog has gotten out before, and while it has never been aggressive toward people on the street, it has been aggressive to police and animal control officers attempting to catch it.
Carrero said she will file a dangerous dog proceeding against the dog, however the animal control officers have to finish their investigation into the incident before determining whether the proceeding will be civil or criminal. If it is a criminal proceeding, the dog’s owners could face charges for allowing the dog to get loose, she said.
“If the owner has the opportunity to have the dog euthanized then that’s a better option. I mean, if it bites a child that bad…” she said. “This dog bit somebody unprovoked. I don’t want this dog to go back out to the public.”
There are 11 criteria used in the determination of whether an animal should be considered dangerous. These include any history of an attack on a person or domestic animal and it’s severity and/or provocation; damage to property; whether it appears the animal has been trained to fight; whether the animal’s temperament is predictable; and whether the animal has been properly cared for.
If an inspection and hearing determine that the animal is dangerous, it’s not an automatic death sentence. If a hearing officer decides that the animal doesn’t warrant euthanasia and can be released, the owner must register his pet as a dangerous animal, the same way sex offenders register upon release. Such pets must wear special tags at all times, identifying them as a dangerous animal.
If the owner is allowed the keep a dangerous dog, they must pay a fee and keep the animal either in the house or behind a secure fence, with a “Beware of Dog” sign displayed in an obvious location.
Pending investigation of this incident, Carrero cautioned all residents to be careful around strange dogs, and never to bring one into their home, especially if young children are present.
If there is a dog running loose and the animal shelter is closed, Carrero said to either call the police or simply let it run.
“This might be a lesson for people. Don’t be so trustworthy of strange animals around your children and your family,” she said. “Any dog can bite. Children need to be taught not to approach strange dogs. You never know what can happen, and this is a prime example.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com.
