Tennessee Child, 2, Injured in Family Pit Bull Attack

Life Flight Called In
White Bluff, TN - A 2-year-old child was attacked by a family’s pit bull. The boy was taken by Life Flight helicopter to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital with lacerations to his leg and throat. The owners were feeding the dog when it attacked. Tethering information -- whether the dog was chained or not -- was unavailable. A separate article has a video link.

As of noon, the condition of the injured child was unclear. The family still had the dog on their property, and deputies said it would be their decision whether or not they wanted to surrender the pet to animal control. The family said this was the first time that the dog had attacked anyone. The family will keep the dog penned up for 10 days on their property for quarantine purposes.

White Bluff is a rural town (population about 2,000), which might explain why the family is hosting the dog for the quarantine period. Small town or not, nothing can explain the State of Tennessee's complex, bottom of the bucket dog law. Had this child been a "guest" in the home, for instance a visiting nephew, the dog owners would not be out a dime in medical costs.

In other news:

Dog Owners Charged in Attack
UPDATE 09/09/08: Montana authorities have charged David Earl German, 29, and Summer German, 31, with one count of negligent endangerment and two counts of having a dog at large, all misdemeanors, for the attack on the elderly woman. The couple is scheduled to appear in court September 19th. German gave the usual quote, "[The attack] was an unexpected thing."

09/01/08: 64-Year Old Woman Attacked by Pit Bull
Kalispell, MT - On Friday, a 64-year-old woman suffered extensive bite wounds to her chin and head after being attacked by a pit bull. A large portion of her ear was detached, and she also sustained defensive wounds on her arms and hands. Kalispell Police Department responded to the attack. Fire officials were also on scene and treated the woman's injuries.

The dog was aggressive with police officers and was shot three times by one of the officers before it died. The dog resided next to the victim's house, and it is believed the pit bull escaped the back yard fencing. The woman was treated and subsequently released from the Kalispell hospital. Kalispell police are investigating the attack.