LAKE CITY, FL -- An extended Lake City family is reeling after two of its members were arrested and three others — including the 4-year-old daughter of the arrested couple’s son — hospitalized following an attack by a pair of pit bulls last week.
The dogs’ owners, Christopher John Schell, 40, and Kathryn Crews Schell, 46, 1185 SW Packard St., were arrested and charged with felony child neglect. They were booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility and released on $5,000 bond each.
“The reason we charged them with felony child neglect is because the investigating deputies felt that the (Schells) knew the dogs were dangerous because of previous incidents with their (own) children, but yet they still allowed these aggressive dogs to be around children,” said Sgt. Ed Seifert, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office public information officer.
Police reports indicate the dogs had bitten another person some months earlier.
Terry Marques, Executive Director of the Lake City Humane Society, said the dogs were euthanized Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the most seriously injured of the victims, the 4-year-old, faces extensive plastic surgery to repair damage from one of the dog’s powerful jaws.
According to sheriff’s reports, the incident occurred around 9:25 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 at 1185 SW Packard St.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the home in reference to the 4-year-old’s being bitten in the face by a dog. The first deputy to arrive reported speaking to at least four victims and noted the worst hurt was the child, who suffered “moderately severe facial injuries” after being attacked by a brown pit bull.
The girl’s maternal grandparents were present and tried to fend the dogs off.
Patrick Norris told the deputy he was trying to chase the dogs away from his wife, Joyce Norris, and granddaughter, but the dogs circled him and one bit him on the back of the leg as he swung a hammer at it.
Patrick Norris, who was at the Schell residence to work on a truck, said the victims were standing within 10 feet of each other when the attack occurred. It was over in two minutes, he said.
The 4-year-old, who lives nearby with her parents, was attacked first.
“He had her head in his mouth shaking her like a rag doll,” Patrick Norris said.
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| Patrick Norris adjusts a pillow for his wife, Joyce, Thursday evening. Joyce was injured last week when she was mauled by a relative’s pit bull. |
DeAnna Cannon, the Norrises’ daughter, jumped in to save her young daughter and was also attacked.
Joyce Norris was next.
“She got pulled to the ground and broke her ankle after she was trying to take her foot out of the dog’s mouth,” Patrick Norris said.
As a result of the attack, Joyce has a lacerated left foot with six staples and a broken right ankle. DeAnna Cannon has severe bruising and dog bites on her thighs and buttocks. The 4-year-old has several facial lacerations, bruising and a puncture wound to the back of her head and injuries to her ear. Patrick Norris has bite marks on his left ankle and right calf.
A 7-month-old baby was also in the yard when the attack occurred. John Cannon, DeAnna’s husband, picked the child up and placed it out of harm’s way.
John’s mother and stepfather owned the dogs.
Animal Control officer Timothy Lachance took both animals into custody.
“When he was attempting to put this all brown pit bull in the cage, it was like a wild cat,” reported deputy Scott Ceckanowicz. “This dog was on a telescopic pole as it was being directed by the animal control officer and was so aggressive, thrashing so wildly that it actually was swinging out of control and almost broke from the officer’s hold.”
“They had five deputies on the scene,” Patrick Norris said. “The deputies had their weapons drawn until they put it in the box.”
Terry Marques, Executive Director of the Lake City Humane Society, said the dogs were impounded June 8, the day of the attack.
He said the Humane Society has a set procedure for dealing with dogs that have bitten people.
“They are quarantined for a period of 10 days to observe for symptoms or signs indicative of the rabies virus,” Marques said. “At the end of the quarantine period they are either returned to the owner, evaluated for placement or euthanized.”
Marques said Humane Society guidelines require such a procedure before euthanizing any animal.
“The owners signed a euthanasia consent form allowing us to euthanize the dogs, foregoing a dangerous dog declaration process,” he said.
Marques noted the dogs were euthanized before their quarantine period ended.
“We decided to go ahead and euthanize them due to their aggressive behavior, particularly the male’s behavior,” he said. “Now we have sent the specimens to the state laboratory so that they can test the brain for the rabies virus. Because they are current on the rabies virus vaccines, the chances of them having the rabies virus is very minute.”
Marques also discussed how a dog with a history of biting people was allowed to remain with their owners.
“All we knew is we received a bite report over the fax machine and all we had on the dogs was a bite report,” he said. “We never went to the property or had a reason to go to the property before. Environmental health permitted them to do a home quarantine and they monitored that quarantine period, not us. We did not receive any correspondence, phone calls, etc., from any concerned parties about the dogs being aggressive.”
Patrick Norris said he and his family wanted the public to know what kind of danger aggressive dogs can present.
“We wanted to get the word out about the incident to make people aware of public safety,” Patrick Norris said. “Anytime there is dogs around — any dog can attack. It doesn’t have to be provoked. These dogs were outside and for no reason they just decided to take over the yard and they did.”
Patrick Norris said he thinks the laws governing dog attacks should be toughened.
“This is unacceptable to me,” Patrick Norris said. “This dog has attacked before and I think there should be laws in place that if a dog attacks even once, it should be put down. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen anymore. There needs to be new laws.”
A Department of Family Children’s Services investigation may be launched in the wake of the case, say police.
(Lake City Reporter - June 17, 2011)
Joyce Norris was next.
“She got pulled to the ground and broke her ankle after she was trying to take her foot out of the dog’s mouth,” Patrick Norris said.
As a result of the attack, Joyce has a lacerated left foot with six staples and a broken right ankle. DeAnna Cannon has severe bruising and dog bites on her thighs and buttocks. The 4-year-old has several facial lacerations, bruising and a puncture wound to the back of her head and injuries to her ear. Patrick Norris has bite marks on his left ankle and right calf.
A 7-month-old baby was also in the yard when the attack occurred. John Cannon, DeAnna’s husband, picked the child up and placed it out of harm’s way.
John’s mother and stepfather owned the dogs.
Animal Control officer Timothy Lachance took both animals into custody.
“When he was attempting to put this all brown pit bull in the cage, it was like a wild cat,” reported deputy Scott Ceckanowicz. “This dog was on a telescopic pole as it was being directed by the animal control officer and was so aggressive, thrashing so wildly that it actually was swinging out of control and almost broke from the officer’s hold.”
“They had five deputies on the scene,” Patrick Norris said. “The deputies had their weapons drawn until they put it in the box.”
Terry Marques, Executive Director of the Lake City Humane Society, said the dogs were impounded June 8, the day of the attack.
He said the Humane Society has a set procedure for dealing with dogs that have bitten people.
“They are quarantined for a period of 10 days to observe for symptoms or signs indicative of the rabies virus,” Marques said. “At the end of the quarantine period they are either returned to the owner, evaluated for placement or euthanized.”
Marques said Humane Society guidelines require such a procedure before euthanizing any animal.
“The owners signed a euthanasia consent form allowing us to euthanize the dogs, foregoing a dangerous dog declaration process,” he said.
Marques noted the dogs were euthanized before their quarantine period ended.
“We decided to go ahead and euthanize them due to their aggressive behavior, particularly the male’s behavior,” he said. “Now we have sent the specimens to the state laboratory so that they can test the brain for the rabies virus. Because they are current on the rabies virus vaccines, the chances of them having the rabies virus is very minute.”
Marques also discussed how a dog with a history of biting people was allowed to remain with their owners.
“All we knew is we received a bite report over the fax machine and all we had on the dogs was a bite report,” he said. “We never went to the property or had a reason to go to the property before. Environmental health permitted them to do a home quarantine and they monitored that quarantine period, not us. We did not receive any correspondence, phone calls, etc., from any concerned parties about the dogs being aggressive.”
Patrick Norris said he and his family wanted the public to know what kind of danger aggressive dogs can present.
“We wanted to get the word out about the incident to make people aware of public safety,” Patrick Norris said. “Anytime there is dogs around — any dog can attack. It doesn’t have to be provoked. These dogs were outside and for no reason they just decided to take over the yard and they did.”
Patrick Norris said he thinks the laws governing dog attacks should be toughened.
“This is unacceptable to me,” Patrick Norris said. “This dog has attacked before and I think there should be laws in place that if a dog attacks even once, it should be put down. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen anymore. There needs to be new laws.”
A Department of Family Children’s Services investigation may be launched in the wake of the case, say police.
(Lake City Reporter - June 17, 2011)
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