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Mansfield dog attacks six-year-old boy

3/5/2013

After attempting to pet the neighbor’s dog, a six-year-old boy in Mansfield was attacked by the animal. Reportedly, the dog savagely bit the boy’s ear, cheek and ankle while he was being cared for by a babysitter at her house; the canine was a family pet. A police officer responded at the scene of theanimal attack and found the youngster holding a bloody paper towel to his face. The dog had been locked in a separate room.

The child was taken by ambulance for treatment. He had extensive damage to muscles and ligaments on his cheek, and his wounds required hundreds of stitches. Wounds caused by animal attacks often require reconstructive surgery, and some of the damage to the muscles and ligaments may be permanent and impossible to repair.

A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27 to decide the fate of the dog. This attack is not the first instance of the animal attacking a human; he had previously bitten his current owner and the owner’s daughter and has also shown food-related aggression. If it is determined that the canine is dangerous, he may be killed or removed from the town. The animal’s owners can contest the ruling if they disagree.

When an animal attacks a young child, the child is left with emotional and physical scars that will fade but may never completely go away. A Massachusetts personal injury lawyer may be able to help victims recover damages if they have been attacked by a dog. The lawyer may be able to plan a course of action to get damages that will help cover medical expenses and compensate for the pain and suffering of the victim.

Source: Mansfield News, “Hearing next week in Mansfield on dog’s fate,” Susan Parkou Weinstein, Feb. 21, 2013

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