14-year-old boy survives dog attack

Many people in North Carolina consider their pets to be members of the family and treat them as such. Sadly, there are some who may encourage their animals to be aggressive. A consequence of that treatment is that a dog may attack other animals or humans who mean it no harm. One 14-year-old boy was recently involved in a dog attack without any provocation, according to the boy’s father. The man also claims that he witnessed his neighbor encouraging the dog to be aggressive.

The father reports that he and his son were in their driveway when the attack happened. The neighbor’s dog had been to their property earlier in the day and reportedly attacked their own dog, but it was not seriously injured. This time, the father claims that his son had just gotten out of the family truck and the neighbor’s dog seemed to be approaching in a friendly manner, but attacked the boy. The father claims he had to strike the dog several times to get it to let go of his son.

The boy had to be rushed, first by ambulance and then by helicopter, to nearby hospitals for treatment of serious injuries. He reportedly suffered five main bites as well as other injuries from the incident. The father claims he witnessed his neighbor beating the dog and says he believes the dog didn’t know how to safely play with people. The dog has since been euthanized.

In North Carolina, a dog attack is subject to the “one-bite” rule, meaning that if a dog attacks once, out of nowhere, an owner may not be liable. However, in this particular case, strict liability, another part of state dog bite law, may apply since this dog may have previously displayed violent tendencies. Those who have suffered a dog attack and aren’t sure whether they may be able to bring civil litigation against a dog owner can consult a dog bite attorney with experience in these types of personal injury claims to determine how to proceed.