ILLINOIS -- A nine-year-old girl was taken to the hospital with injuries after a pit bull attacked her Saturday evening in West City.
The dog's owner, 29-year-old Brian Copperthite, was charged with three counts of child endangerment.
Caitlyn Lowery and a friend were riding their bikes about 7 p.m. Saturday at the Rend Lake Mobile Home Park.
Lowery says they stopped to talk, when out of nowhere, a pit bull from the neighborhood attacked.
"All the sudden this dog comes down and just bit me and tried to rip my skin," Caitlyn said.
The dog's owner, 29-year-old Brian Copperthite, was charged with three counts of child endangerment.
Caitlyn Lowery and a friend were riding their bikes about 7 p.m. Saturday at the Rend Lake Mobile Home Park.
Lowery says they stopped to talk, when out of nowhere, a pit bull from the neighborhood attacked.
"All the sudden this dog comes down and just bit me and tried to rip my skin," Caitlyn said.
Caitlyn says the dog pinned her down and bit her thigh then neck. Copperthite told police the pit bull escaped from a trailer and ran toward the girls. Caitlyn says Copperthite punched the dog off her. At the hospital, Caitlyn says she received 25 stitches to close up four bite holes. But her mother says that's not all.
"They wanted to put a stitch in her face but she was so traumatized over four holes being stitched up in her leg, she wasn't going to have stitches in her face. So luckily they were able to use Durabond on her face," Jacqueline Lowery, Caitlyn's mom said.
Franklin County Animal Control has since euthanized the pit bull. [NOTE: Another article says "The 8-month-old dog was euthanized with the owner's consent and was to be tested for rabies"]
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| Can you imagine how horrific it is to have a dog this close to your face, attacking you?! |
Meanwhile, Caitlyn is back at school. But she says dog owners to be responsible with their pets, so no other children get attacked.
(KFVS - September 9, 2010)
