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Neighbor Helps Mother and Son During Florida Dog Attack

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 16, 2015

A mother and her son are recovering after being saved by a neighbor during a dog attack. The attack occurred in a quiet neighborhood in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

On March 30, nine-year-old Shamar Jean-Baptiste was riding his bike in the front yard of his house. He was minding his own business when a pitbull-mix dog wandered into the driveway. The dog began circling the boy in a threatening manner. The boy fell off the bicycle and onto the ground and the dog attacked him. He bit the nine year old on the right shoulder and the left leg.

The boy’s mother, Gracieuse Jean-Baptiste, 35, heard Shamar screaming from inside the house during the attack and came outside to rescue the boy. She tried to kick the dog but the dog turned on her. She was bitten on the left arm near the elbow and the leg. Gracieuse yelled out in pain.

Berlen Justine lives next door to Gracieuse and Shamar and heard the commotion. He looked out the window and saw that the dog attacking them. Berlen ran outside and began hitting the dog with a belt. He wanted to get the dog away from the mother and child, giving them an opportunity to run away. The dog soon turned toward Berlen and he continued to hit the dog with a belt. Gracieuse grabbed her child and ran into the house. Berlen hit the dog again and ran into his house.

When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they found Gracieuse and Shamar laying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor. They were both transported to Broward Health Medical Center with serious injuries.

The dog was captured and placed in quarantine. It had apparently escaped from a house several doors down. A Broward County Animal Care officer said the dog had not been cited for biting anybody previously. It had received a rabies vaccine in June of 2013, but it was not legally registered in the county. The owner was cited for not properly registering the animal.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Florida dog bite injury, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. immediately at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.

James O. Cunningham

James O. CunninghamSince 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.

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