Pit Bull attacks child at birthday party in Galax

WSLS ^

[Chet 99]

By Ashley Roberts WSLS10 Reporter

Published: May 4, 2009

A four-year-old child is recovering, after Galax Police say a pit bull attacked the child and an adult at a birthday party on Sunday.

Officers say Gregory Hatcher was walking his pit bull on Webster Street, across from the Galax Police Department, when the dog began barking, and police say Webster and some adults at the birthday party “exchanged words.“

Investigators believe the dog then got loose, attacked Tyonda Ravenell and then the child.

EMTs took both the child and Ravenell to Twin County Regional Hospital. EMTs then took the child to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for surgery. Police describe the child as having “severe leg injuries.“ Ravenell has since been treated and released.

Police charged Hatcher with two counts of assault and battery, as well as two counts of allowing an animal to attack.

The Galax Animal Control officer has quarantines the pit bull.

[llevrok]

Note to self: don’t invite dogs to birthday parties.

[allmendream]

Dog (and owner) were gate crashers at the party....and quite the party poopers also!

[rawhide]

Police charged Hatcher with two counts of assault and battery, as well as two counts of allowing an animal to attack.

The owner ought to be charged with attempted murder.

[SJSAMPLE]

I have been told, repeatedly, that attacks like this are rare.

[brytlea]

Don’t we have to know that he actually attempted to murder someone to charge him with that?

[brytlea]

I suppose it depends on your definition of rare.

[from occupied ga]

Here - let me say it for all of the dog lovers out there "The dog must have been provoked." Undoubtedly by the mere existance of people to that it hadn't yet attacked.

"but my dog would never do any such thing. In fact pit bulls, chows and dobermans saved a million children last year and cured AIDS." (Include here picture of dog proving what a sweet precious wecious darling warling puppy wuppikins their dog is - I don't make this stuff up I heard a dog owner refer to her public nusance animal as such.) Fact remains that roughly 500,000 plus dog bites occur annually that are severe enough to require emergency room treatment.

My solution is

1. DO away with the one free bite rule
2. Make dog owners financially AND criminally liable for the damage that their precious wecious etcs. do

[albie]

“Investigators believe the dog then got loose, attacked Tyonda Ravenell and then the child”.

...It is indeed a show of “power” and “bling” to own a pit bull in some circles. I’m sure than “Tyonda” has one too. Just sayin’...

[from occupied ga]

definition of rare Ie 4.7 million dog bites a year.

[SJSAMPLE]

or of “sarcasm”

[massgopguy]

I remember a story about a guy who worked at a Zoo in New Jersey couldn’t believe the Cobra that he had raise since it was hatched bit him.

[Hi Heels]

Zactly. I had a friend who hand raised an alligator. Same result. Minus the hand almost.

[stinkerpot65]

I have been told, repeatedly, that attacks like this are rare.

Yeah, after repeated toddlers get their throats repeatedly ripped out. After which the pit bull owners repeatedly claim, "Oh, but my pit bull was so gentle. I just don't understand it."

[FortWorthPatriot]

"...Webster and some adults at the birthday party “exchanged words.“ Investigators believe the dog then got loose..."

How much you wanna bet that the clasp on the dog's leash "just happened" to open up under the pressure of the owner's fingers?

Yo, you dissin me beotch? Sic' em, boy!

[meandog]

Police charged Hatcher with two counts of assault and battery, as well as two counts of allowing an animal to attack.

Good! In Virginia, an owner can go to jail for a dog bite and, if a death occurs, in prison for involuntary manslaughter. This case again illustrates an irresponsible owner of a powerful dog breed; but don't for one minute blame the dog...it was an untrained, unsocialized animal--nothing more!

[meandog]

My solution is DO away with the one free bite rule Make dog owners financially AND criminally liable for the damage that their precious wecious etcs.

I have no problem with that solution...I do have a problem with breed abolishment as a solution, however.

[from occupied ga]

I do have a problem with breed abolishment as a solution, however.

The biggest offenders are pit bulls followed by rotweilers and chows. I'm not sure where I stand on this. There are so many breeds of dogs, that banning one or two would not seem to harm anyone's ability to have a dog for a pet.

[brytlea]

Your sarcasm was obvious. Your use of the word rare appears to be, in fact, wrong.

[SJSAMPLE]

When you’re quoting someone, you can’t be “wrong”.

The originator may wrong, but if someone actually told me that (and they have), then I wouldn’t be wrong.

Again, “sarcasm”.