Dog owner out on bond after 11-year-old hospitalized for dog attack

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - An 11-year-old was sent to Augusta University Hospital after being attacked by three dogs on Friday night in Grovetown, according to the family.

In an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, it says the attack happened on Langston Drive. Deputies arrived at the family home on the same street around 6:30 p.m. Friday and found 11-year-old Justin Gilstrap being treated by fire crews for injuries.

Deputies say Justin’s scalp was halfway torn off, had deep puncture wounds on both legs, and half of his ear had been bitten off.

Ericka Stevens Gilstrap, the mother of the victim, says her son told her he was riding his bike when one pit bull started barking at him and then grabbed his leg. A second pit bull then came up and grabbed him on his bottom.

That’s when he fell off the bike and a third pit bull then came up and dragged him into a ditch.

“There’s a possibility he could be missing part of his ear. They can’t see it was his other ear. He’s got cartilage hanging,” Gilstrap says. “They had to quit taking his blood pressure because there was nowhere good to do it. So they finally put it on his arm and he was screaming, but they’re giving him fentanyl and morphine and he’s been pretty calm. He’s been a trooper.”

Ericka says her 11-year-old nephew is the one who called 911 after discovering Justin in the ditch.

“He has not cried. He’s not. He said ‘I’m gonna be tough.’ I was like, ‘You’re tougher than me because I’ve probably been hysterical,’” said Ericka.

The family says they have reported these dogs to Columbia County Sheriff’s Office several times before. Ericka says she filed her first report last year and says neighbors have also made reports and complaints.

The owner of the three dogs, Burt Baker III, arrived on the scene and told deputies the dogs were his. He told officers the dogs like to chase people on bicycles.

After learning from animal control the owner has had previous reports and warnings in the past, deputies charged Baker with reckless conduct.

Saturday morning, the family told News 12 saying the child is in a medically induced coma. As of Sunday evening, they say 11-year-old Justin is out of his first surgery, but more have already been scheduled for the week.

Ericka Gilstrap says more of Justin’s scalp had to be removed down to his neck, his leg has two large wounds that could not be closed, and while his left ear was able to be repaired, it now has an infection.

She says Justin remains on a breathing machine and is sedated for the time being.

After a review of county records, Columbia County Animal Services has responded to various complaints concerning multiple dog issues in the Rolling Meadows subdivision over the last several years. Animal Services has had limited interactions with the owner of these particular dogs in the past and warnings for allowing the dogs to run free were issued. Columbia County Animal Services has no record of these dogs being aggressive towards humans until this incident. - Columbia Board of Commissioners

“Having my grandson almost drown and spending days in the PICU, I can totally empathize. My heart hurts for Justin and his family. No parent or child should have to endure a horrible situation like this. We will continue to pray for his recovery,” Chairman Duncan stated earlier Sunday.

The Board of Commissioners says the matter has been turned over to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and they have made an arrest. The incident is under further investigation.

Major Steve Morris with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office now confirms that Baker is out on a $1,100 bond.

Here’s more info about how the government knowingly allowed these dangerous dogs to continue to roam free even after getting a large number of complaints from many different people. The government gave the dogs’ owner multiple warnings, including a “final” warning. But even then, even after getting additional complaints, the government never actually did anything to get these dangerous dogs off the streets. The guy took joy in the fact that his dogs were chasing people. And they had already attacked someone else’s dog. But the government still refused to do anything to get these dangerous dogs off the street.

https://www.wrdw.com/2023/01/11/look-into-prior-reports-made-against-dogs-grovetown-attack/

A look at past reports against dogs in Grovetown attack

January 11, 2023

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We’re learning more about the dogs involved in a violent attack on an 11-year-old boy Friday.

Records with animal services show Justin Gilstrap’s aunt, Kellie Aguilar, filed complaints about the same group of dogs about a year ago. In early 2022, reports show the dogs attacked her small Yorkie.

A couple of weeks later, she filed another complaint about the same dogs running loose in the neighborhood. Now, Gilstrap is in the hospital after being attacked.

On Jan 12, Columbia County gave the dog’s owner, Burt Baker, a final warning saying from that point forward, the dogs must be contained to the property, but more complaints followed, and nothing changed.“

The dogs were constantly out,” said Aguilar.

She didn’t feel safe showing her face on camera, but she says this attack could have been prevented.

“It was two pit bulls who came into my backyard while my Yorkie was out there and attacked him. I heard it going on. I went out there. They attacked him,” she said.

She filed a police report after the attack in her fenced-in back yard Jan. 2. Animal services said there was not “an immediate threat” and came out the next day.

They say they had trouble getting in touch with either party and closed the case. On Jan. 12, the dogs were back on her property when she called animal services again. Columbia County issued a final warning, and Baker signed it.

“The dogs, I don’t think were ever locked up from the entire situation. They’ve always ran loose,” said Aguilar.

In July, two other neighbors filed complaints about the dogs at the same address being on the loose. Six months later, with the dogs still roaming, Aguilar got the call about her nephew.

“It was absolutely devastating,” she said.

She knows from what she’s seen and reported, what happened to Gilstrap should have never happened.

“It was preventable. My nephew was riding the bike that he got for Christmas. As he should be able to as an 11-year-old boy and did not make it back home that day. He’s lying in the hospital now because these dogs were able to run loose,” she said.

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