Posted on 02/19/2006 12:11:46 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
Third-grader attacked by Golden Retriever
Reported by Kristin Anderson
Created: 2/17/2006 5:03:23 PM
Updated:2/18/2006 1:14:15 PM
WESTLAKE -- A third grader in Westlake is recovering from surgery after a Golden Retriever attacked her on the way home from school. The little girl had to get 68-stitches to close her wounds and neighbors can't believe such a kind dog could turn so vicious.
For more than a decade, crossing guard Jo Gibbons has stationed herself outside Hilliard Elementary.
Her dedication to the children is as well known in the neighborhood as her Golden Retriever who is usually outside greeting the students.
"She's a nice lady ... I've known her for years," said neighbor Rich Najjar. "I've never had any problems with her since we moved here."
But Thursday afternoon, while Gibbons was pushing the button to the crosswalk, police say her dog knocked down a 9-year-old and attacked her head.
A neighbor took the girl to Fairview Hospital where she underwent surgery to close the wounds.
Those who know Gibbons and the dog can't believe it.
"It's always been friendly with everybody," another said. "I've never seen it do anything like that before."
Gibbons reported the attack to Westlake police.
The dog is now under a 10-day quarantine inside the house. Gibbons didn't want to talk on camera, but says the attack was out of her dog's character and she's very concerned about the little girl.
Witnesses say the little girl did not provoke the dog in any way.
Her family says she's doing well considering what happened. They hope she can come home soon.
Police say they are reviewing the case with prosecutors to see if any charges will be filed.
We checked with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and they do not have any record of this dog biting anyone.
Man... bites... Dog...
That is very odd. Normally these are very friendly dogs whoe's worst trait is that they like to jump up and put their front paws on you.
Looks like the Golden Retriever must have been watching the "Pitbull Channel" on cable.
I knew a guy who got mauled (and got his ear torn off in the process) by a Lab Retreiver when he was 8 years old, so stuff like this happens on occasion.
This can be the story that Pit Bull apologists cherish. When the 100th pit bull attack story in a week is posted, they can keep referring back to this story as proof that all dogs can bite. lOL.
My best friend growing up had one and I hated it. I'd go over there swimming and that mean dog was always jumping on me. I was just a little girl at the time and I always cringed walking up that driveway and seeing that psycho dog.
Old dog with arthrhitis, or something? There is a reason for this.
Sometimes my asprin doesn't work, and I might bite your head off.
You guys have me at a loss. I can't explain this bad behaviour from a normally friendly breed of dog.
"Irish setters are evil dogs."
You got that right. When I was 8 or 9 years old a neighbor's Irish Setter was running loose when I was walking home from school on day. The thing tackled and humped me 1/2 way down the block. I'd push it away go another 5 steps and it'd tackle and hump me again. I had to climb a tree to get away from it.
The most danger I've ever felt from a Lab or Golden is being drowned in slobber; I suspect the dog is sick with a brain tumor or something like that.
I'm not really a "dog person", but his big dog is wonderful. Just the best. I like him better than my parent's Pichon Friese (sp?).
I've noticed taht about goldens, too. I've never seen a dog get so excited over seeing a human as a golden. They act like a perfect stranger is their long, lost best friend. I agree that the dog is probably sick or something.
Then you came home loaded one night and started looking for his leg.
This happens all the time! You just don't hear about it because 1)The media likes their pit bull stories 2)The vast majority of the time, when a dog other than a pit attacks, no one reports it unless it is really serious. 3) And I hate this one--when a lab bites, automatically someone must have done something to it?! Or it could just be a bad dog. I had a lab growing up, and she was not nice to people she didn't know, or dogs for that matter. When my mom was driving my little brother over to a friend's house, she brought the dog with her, and for some reason she just jumped out the window, ran into their house and attacked their poor brittany spaniel who was innocently sitting on the couch. In California in 2002, a pomeranian attacked and killed a newborn baby. A few months ago, my boss and her husky were attacked by a great dane. A few years ago a pomeranian attacked me and literally ripped my thumbnail off. When I was working at a vet clinic in Iowa, I was bitten by one of my boss's saint bernards. Later on at that same place, I was bitten by a brittany spaniel, the same breed that my lab had bitten before! Having worked with animals of all kinds for years, I can say I have been bitten by all the "nicey nice" dog breeds, quite a few cats, several species of snakes, lizards, pocket pets (the nastiest being a hamster that bit all the way through my index finger)but none of the ones that some people consider vicious. None. And remember folks, the world's first face transplant was caused by a black lab in England. Any pet can bite. After all, they're animals. Don't rationalize it, just understand that it happens, and try to educate yourself and kids about how to act around them. Most accidents could have been prevented if only the PEOPLE were more careful/educated/etc.
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