South Carolina authorities say they are likely to charge a local mom with negligent homicide charges in connection with the death of her 1-year-old son who died after being mauled by the family’s Pit Bull Monday morning, according to a news article posted on the First Coast News Website.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the family’s apartment after getting reports that a Pit Bull got out of a laundry room and killed 1-year-old Brian Palmer. According to investigators, the dog showed clear signs of aggressive behavior before the attack, killing a cat and attacking other dogs. The boy died in a local hospital Wednesday morning. Initial cause of death was reported as “lacerations to the throat.”
“When you have small children in the house, you may have to exercise better judgment,” Sgt. Michael Miller told the newspaper. “And it’s going to be our job to investigate to see if this judgment was proper or not.”
This is terribly tragedy for this family and I can’t imagine what they are going through. But I cannot help but wonder how deep in denial they were about this Pit Bull. A dog rips up their house. They call it separation anxiety. The Pit Bull chases and kills the family’s cat. Still no alarms go off. Instead a cousin of the dead boy says this Pit Bull actually slept on the bed alongside them! This is what Cheron Gilchrist has to say about the killer dog:
“We never thought it was the kind of dog that would attack a baby. Who is going to think that a dog that sleeps next to you in the same bed is going to attack your child?”
I’m with Sgt. Miller on this. When you have small children in the house, you have to safety-proof your house. Would you leave a loaded gun by the baby’s pillow? If your answer is “no,” then that answer should apply to a Pit Bull or a Rottweiler as well. These are dangerous dogs and that is an undisputed fact.
Day after day, we see babies, children and even adults mauled by these dogs. At Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys we’ve seen horrible dog bite cases, especially on kids, who have needed extensive plastic surgery. If you own a Pit Bull or Rottweiler, remember that you are liable for a dog attack. Anyone who owns one of these dogs must seriously consider if it’s worth owning them at the risk of these dogs hurting or killing a neighbor or a loved one.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous dog, call me for a free consultation. John Bisnar, 800-259-6373.