She wasn't immediately alarmed that the child had been knocked to the ground by a neighbor's dog in the seconds it took for her to catch up with him.
But what she saw moments later was something that still has her badly shaken--the dog, a pit bull, had ripped open little Jacob Brady's face, causing a wound that required reconstructive surgery and about 90 stitches to close.
"This was a dog that [Jacob] and other children in the neighborhood had played with a million times," Brady said this week. "I would have never expected the dog to react the way it did."
The brief but vicious attack took place last Wednesday in a trailer park on Potts Lane in Fairview Beach, King George Sheriff Moose Dobson said.
The pit bull, Harley, is owned by a family that Brady said has been good friends with her family and lives a short distance away.
The 15-month-old dog is currently quarantined, Dobson said. Its fate is yet to be determined.
"It was a shock to everyone," Dobson said. "There had never been any complaints about the dog being aggressive before."
Brady said she was outside with Jacob planting flowers last Wednesday, when she saw Jacob rounding a corner into the neighbor's yard.
There is a vacant trailer between the two homes, but Dobson said there is little distance between the Bradys' and the dog's home.
Jacob had reached the dog, which was on a chain, by the time his mother caught up with him. For no apparent reason, Brady said, the dog lunged at Jacob.
Brady said at first she thought the dog had merely knocked the child down. Then she noticed her son was bleeding profusely.
Brady said King George rescue workers responded quickly to her call and immediately made the decision to have the child flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital.
There Jacob had extensive surgery before returning home a few days later. Brady said the child might need more surgery.
Brady said it appears that Jacob will have no lasting scars from the incident, either emotionally or physically. The toddler plays with the family Weimaraner just as he did before.
"His father and I are having a lot more trouble dealing with what happened than Jacob is," Brady said.
Adding to the stress is the close friendship between the Bradys and Harley's owners. Brady said that even though they don't blame the owners and know that they are sorry, there is still a strain.
Dobson said the case is being reviewed by the Commonwealth's Attorney's office, but he said it is unlikely that any charges will be filed.
He said that while there are animal bites from time to time in the county, Jacob's was by far the worst in recent memory.
The Bradys moved to Fairview Beach about 4 years ago from Alabama. They also have a 5-year-old daughter.
(Fredericksburg.com - May 22, 2008)
