My bad ;~p
Posted on 02/06/2009 10:26:16 AM PST by DouglasKC
ROBINSON TOWNSHIP — Two children suffered minor injuries when a dog attacked them after following its owners onto a bus full of students headed to Robinson Elementary School on Wednesday morning.
According to Grand Haven Area Public Schools Superintendent Keith Konarska, the pit bull followed two children from his family onto the bus at a stop at 120th Avenue and Fernwood Lane. Once on the bus, the dog nipped at two students and the driver, who was trying to remove it, Konarska said.
A boy and a girl, both 9, were injured in the incident.
Parents of both injured students were contacted immediately, Konarska said. The boy, T.J. Tuttle, was taken to North Ottawa Community Hospital by his mother.
"It was a pretty scary moment for him," said the mother, Michelle Tuttle. "The dog lunged right at his face."
T.J. suffered a bruise on his forehead and had lots of scratches, Michelle said, but no major injuries. Doctors also prescribed him an antibiotic, she said.
According to Konarska, the 9-year-old girl suffered minor scratches in the attack.
The dog's owner has surrendered the animal to Harbor Humane Society, said Lt. Lee Hoeksma of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, where it will be kept in a 10-day quarantine before it could be put down if it is believed to be a threat.
Michelle Tuttle, who does not know the dog or its owners, said she has heard from neighbors that the dog had a prior biting incident in Allegan County.
"This dog was not known as a friendly dog," she said.
Tuttle also plans to take legal action against the owners so an incident like this doesn't happen again.
"They have to be held accountable for it," she said.
Tuttle's family owns a large boxer, she said, and T.J. has told her that he is now afraid of big dogs. But Tuttle acknowledged that the attack could have been a lot worse, and commended the school and the bus driver for their swift actions.
"They handled it very calmly and expeditiously," she said.
In addition to contacting the parents of the two injured children, a note was also sent home with all the children on the bus, Konarska said.
Robinson Elementary Principal Jeffrey Marcus also brought the children into the auditorium to talk with them about the incident. The kids seemed to react well to the incident, Marcus said.
"I was very impressed at how well they handles themselves," the principal said. "It could have certainly been a very traumatic experience."
Konarska had never heard of a dog getting on a school bus and attacking students, he said.
"This is one of those very unusual incidents and we're glad that no one got more seriously hurt," he said.
600,000 dog bites serious enough to require emergency room treatment happen in the USA every year and the reporter calls this unusual?
lol..I think unusual in the sense that the dog decided to hop on the bus and bite. Like a smorgasbord I guess.
Without taking either pit bull side, I would imagine most dogs would get fearful around a bunch of screaming kids and a stranger trying to get hold of it (the bus driver).
Like a shark feeding-frenzy!
Seems like congress runs around constantly trying to make laws to “help” us...yet they won’t touch this one.
The Germans got to a point where they just enough, and outlawed several breeds of dogs from being loose. Either you keep them on a tight leash outside, or you have the dogs taken away. This all came a city park episode where a pitbull tore up some kid on a playground.
My brother was telling of a developing situation in his hometown (Bama)...and the locals are fed up with some family who lets their pitbulls wonder freely and tear up other dogs in the neighborhood. This week, the neighbors showed up at the townhall meeting and basically gave them full warning to write a law or anticipate some kid being attacked within six months. The mayor finally woke up and appears to be working on a leash law for the town.
Bingo. My dog is in a fenced-in yard or walking on a leash. I would never consider any other option. She's just a beagle, but so intent on smells that if something caught her fancy there's just a chance that I'd never see her again.
I really don't understand why dogs (any dog) should be allowed to run free. I guess that view will annoy a lot of freepers.
Oh sure...stick up for the pit bull :-)
Actually I don't have a dog in this fight either. But I live in a small town and this was HUGE news.
Nothing some D-Con sausages couldn't cure. Just sayin'.
Isn’t there some kind of “I hate Pit Bulls” ping list?
My first thoughts also.
I guess it depends on where you live. I live out in the sticks and when our dog was alive we let her out all the time. But she was good dog and stayed in the yard for the most part. But if I lived in town or had really close neighbors than no way.
I can imagine. I doubt it happens that often . It could just as easily have been a lab or other breed. I’m not sure what could have been done to stop this though. Dogs do get out (or are let out) and follow their “kids”.
Not sure, but I do think there is a "pit bull with lipstick" ping list.
Do you know the breed breakdown?
I bet the dog was a loner and frequented local watering hose.
Neighbors said he was real quiet and they never thought he would do something like this...
My bad ;~p
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