Young Florida Girl Bitten By Loose Pit Bull
A six-year old girl was bitten by a loose pit bull on September 9th in DeLand, Florida near Orlando. Marina Mendez was waiting at the bus stop with her mother, when the victims say a loose dog came out of nowhere and bit the girl on the back-side.
The six-year old girl described the incident to officials and said that the dog scratched her mother, and then her mother hit the dog with the girl’s book-bag. The dog then bit the girl in the buttocks and ran away. Authorities were called and Animal Control responded to the incident.
Later in the afternoon, Animal Control tracked the dog to its owner’s home. There they talked to owner James Roberts, who did not believe the story about his dog named, “Precious.” Mr. Roberts said that if it did happen, he was sorry for the accident. He told reporters that his dog played nicely with other children in the neighborhood and it would be out of character for his dog to attack a child. He said he felt the dog was being unfairly accused because the dog is a Pit Bull mix and he felt the public unfairly give that breed a bad-name.
The dog was confiscated by Animal Control and they put the dog in quarantine for observance because it bit a human. They have deemed the dog dangerous to the public, and said that this is the second time it has bitten a citizen. Two months ago Animal Control said the dog also attacked a bicyclist. They did not give additional information on that incident.
Now, to get the dog back, the owners will have to pay over $200 in fines as well as follow a list of requirements. These requirements were not identified, but in many cases this involves building proper containment for an animal, securing the animal by a leash when outside, or other containment requirements.
The little girl was not seriously injured in the incident, and is said to be doing fine at home.
If you have suffered a Florida dog bite injury, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.