DogsBite Blog ::

Pit Bull Owner Not Charged After Dog Jumps Fence to Attack

Child Recovering After Attack
UPDATE 1/29/08: It is reported that Memphis officials can prosecute the dog owner for poor fencing. View the City of Memphis Ordinance. The TV news footage shows the fence, which was meant to keep the dog enclosed, barely adequate. Furthermore, it is not new information that pit bulls can scale fences 6 feet high and beyond.

1/25/08: Pit Bull Jumps Fence, Attacks Child
Memphis, TN - A five-year-old boy who was attacked and dragged down the street by a pit bull is recovering, but still needs help to do everyday chores. Police shot and killed the dog after it jumped the fence and attacked him last Thursday. His mother believes it is a miracle he's alive. "For me, it's amazing nothing happened around his neck because he would have died," she said. "If my son died, I'd die. I couldn't live with that."

The physical scars Juan suffered from the attack are clearly visible. Now he and his mother, Eulalia, are trying to work through the emotional scars. She was at work, with no access to a phone, when the attack happened. She didn't find out about it until returning from work. Her fears were not alleviated to learn that the owner wasn't charged. Apparently in Memphis, as long as the dog is fenced the owner is not liable if the dog escapes it.