ROGERS COUNTY, OK -- An eight year old Rogers County girl is recovering after being bitten by a pit bull.
Her parents were shocked to learn not only will the dog not be destroyed, but will be back living across the street on Monday.
The family said the little girl was taking out the trash when the dog attacked her, totally unprovoked. They said it went from bad to worse when they learned there's nothing the sheriff's office can do to remove or destroy the dog.
The pit bull, "Sherma"n, lives across the street and is usually kept inside or on a shock collar but wasn't either on Friday, June 24th. The little girl was taking the trash out to the dumpster, about 40 yards from her front door, when the pit bull attacked her.
She said when the pit bull bit her, her German Shepherd went after it, which allowed her to escape.
"When I finally saw the wound, I was basically looking at my niece's bone," the girl's aunt, Annette, said.
The injury required surgery and was stitched up.
Annette said her niece is having nightmares and doesn't want to go outside. She said they were shocked to learn there's no law that gives the Sheriff authority over the dog.
"If the property owner or family is attack unprovoked on their property and the attack is vicious, I don't care if it's a pit bull or a Chihuahua, if it does damage, it's not being controlled by its owner and ought to be taken over by law enforcement," Annette said.
The dog must be held in quarantine for 10 days. After that, it can go home, which will be July 4, 2011.
The Sheriff said it's very frustrating to have his hands tied, especially since they get several dog calls every day.
"It's absolutely the greatest problem without an answer and people expect that service," Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton said.
The owner of the dog posted on his Facebook page that he had to pay more than $150 for the quarantine after his dog nearly took the arm off his "neighbor girl." Then he wrote, "What to do, what to do."
In the county, if a dog threatens people or livestock, you can shoot it, but that can create a dangerous situation. The sheriff said he would love to see additional money for an Animal Control unit.
The family wants the laws changed, but for now, hope the DA will ask a judge to declare the dog vicious and order it destroyed or they'll have to go to court themselves.
News On 6 crime reporter didn't hear back from Sherman's owner.
(KOTV - July 1, 2011)
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