A 5 year old boy was mauled to death by 2 pit bulls in the fenced yard of a family friend in Orange County Texas. The mother of the young boy was visiting a friend, whose father owns two pit bulls. She thought the man who owned the dogs was watching her son at the time of the attack, however, he had left the house. When she went out back to check on her son she found him gravely injured, and rushed him to a hospital in a neighboring community where he passed away shortly after arrival.
The dogs attacked his face and neck, biting him more than 15 times in the face and neck, one bite piercing his artery. His neck was so severely damaged that medics in the autopsy were struggling to conclusively make a final determination as to the actual cause of death.
This is not the first time these two pit bulls had attacked other people and local pets. A mother and daughter walking home from the store were attacked, bitten and injured by the same two pit bulls after they dug out from under the fenced in yard. They had also allegedly injured another neighbor’s dog. The owner of the pit bulls put them down as soon as he returned to the house after learning what had happened.
The tragic loss of this 5 year old is beyond words. The legal liability of the homeowner is immense. While he will evidently not have to face criminal charges as the dogs were in a fenced controlled yard and the child was visiting, the owner is still liable for the wrongful death of the child.
If you or someone you love his attacked by a dog or dogs and suffers injuries and bites we invite you to call for a free and substantive consultation at (949)305-1400. Here in California, dog owners are held strictly liable for the behavior of their pets.