James Morris said the girl’s mother, who is dating his stepson, had brought her daughter to his residence in the 1400 block of Cunningham Road West during a visit Friday morning when the attack happened.
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| James Morris with his two pit bull mixes, Bo-Bo (left) and Daisy (right), both of which were reportedly involved in an attack on a 3-year-old girl |
Morris said his six dogs, four of which were outside at the time, have never been aggressive toward anyone.
“I’ve had a lot of people over here,” Morris said. “That little girl — beautiful little girl — she’s been over here before too ... it’s sort of shocked us and we’re worried about the little girl.”
His two nearly year-old pit bull mixes were involved in the attack as well as two poodles he’s temporarily housing for his sister-in-law, he said. Morris explained that he was asleep when the attack happened as wasn’t even aware that the toddler and her mother were even at his home that morning.
He said he was awakened by the mother’s screams and rushed into his living room just in time to see the woman rushing inside with the child.
According to a Blount County Sheriff’s Office statement released Friday, the girl’s mother said she and her daughter were outside playing with the dogs when she went inside to fix the girl a glass of water. When she returned, she said, the dogs had her daughter on the ground and were biting her.
A member of the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department said firefighters arrived at the residence around 10:35 a.m. Rural/Metro Ambulance Service transported the injured toddler to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The 3-year-old was listed in stable condition at UT Medical Center Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Morris said his dogs were put on a 10-day in-house quarantine for observation by Blount County Animal Control. During that time, Morris said, the dogs are to remain under supervision, no one is allowed to be alone near the animals and when taken outside, the dogs must be kept on a leash.
Morris said he’s been around dogs all 53 years of his life and, although his dogs have never acted aggressively before Friday’s incident, it’s never safe to leave a child unattended around an animal.
“The one thing I’ve learned is you never ever leave a child with any breed of dog regardless of what the breed is,” Morris said.
The girl’s mother told him that the toddler was playing chase with the animals before the accident happened, he said.
“That’s not something you do with the animals,” Morris said. “They’re animals ... (but) I understand them (family) being upset.”
Morris said all his dogs are up-to-date on their shots, but, as part of the quarantine procedures, Animal Control personnel will observe them for any signs of an illness that might have been transmitted to the toddler during the next week.
He said several of his neighbors have dropped off care packages he hopes can be sent to the girl during her recovery. Although he hasn’t spoken to the child’s mother directly, his stepson has been updating him on her condition, he said. Last he heard, Morris said, the girl had been through surgery and was doing fine, but would still require hospitilization for another four or five days. Morris said he’s not sure which city the girl and her mother live, but believes they are Blount County residents. He said his stepson started dating the girl’s mother earlier this year.
The Sheriff’s Office said the incident is still under investigation and that no criminal charges have been filed.
As far as his dogs are concerned, Morris said they can only wait.
“I don’t know what they’re going to ask me to do with the animals,” Morris said. “I don’t know ... I’ve never been in this situation before.”
He said he’ll follow any decision made by law enforcement and Animal Control. The Sheriff’s Office informed Morris of the planned quarantine on Friday, he said, with Animal Control making its first visit Saturday.
(Daily Times - Dec 4, 2011)
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