A four-year-old girl was seriously injured in a dog attack in the Bronx earlier this month. The girl was allegedly mauled by a pit bull that had escaped from a fenced-in enclosure at a home on Huxley Road in Riverdale. Witnesses were able to pull the dog off the girl after striking it several times with a baseball bat and then called emergency services. EMTs arrived at the scene within minutes and rushed the girl to nearby Jacobi Hospital for immediate treatment. She was admitted to the hospital and later listed in serious but stable condition.
Shocked bystanders to this terrifying dog attack in New York City say that the dog shot straight at the girl like a bullet and began attacking her immediately without provocation. Sadly, children are often the unwitting targets of vicious dogs.
The dog was apprehended by an animal control officer and taken into custody. A judge will determine the dog’s fate at a later date.
While there has been much attention in the media concerning owner advocacy of pit bulls, the fact remains that these dogs are involved in far more attacks on humans and other animals than other breed of dogs.
Under New York City law, the owner of the dog may not be charged with any crimes-even if their negligence directly contributed to this poor girl’s injuries. While a judge may order the vicious dog destroyed, the negligence case against the dog’s owner must be handled in civil court. That means the family will have to file a dog bite lawsuit in New York City court in order to see any sort of justice done or get compensation for their daughter’s injuries and trauma.
If you’ve been injured by a vicious dog, you need competent legal help to hold the negligent owner’s responsible for dog’s actions and for owner’s inactions. Contact the expert New York City dog attack attorneys at the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel today. Call 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation right now.