TENNESSEE -- An 11-year-old Knox County girl was rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center this morning when she was attacked by a relative's pit bull dog, the Knox County Sheriff's Office said.
According to a news release by KCSO spokeswoman Hillery Cowart, Sydney Gilreath, 11, was transported by Rural Metro to UT Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. UT Medical Center personnel had no record of her being a patient early this evening.
Cowart said that shortly before 11 a.m., deputies responded to Old Andersonville Pike in North Knox County after a pit bull attacked the girl.
According to the news release, the girl was playing outside on a relative's deck when the relative's pit bull, kept on a 15-foot-chain, walked up to her and bit her two to three times on the left thigh.
Cowart reported that the dog then walked back into his doghouse. The dog was surrendered by its owner, Doyle Nicely Jr., and taken to the Young Williams Animal Center, according to a report.
Elisabeth Williams, intake supervisor with Young-Williams, said there is a process for dealing with animals who have bitten someone.
"If an animal is brought in as a bite quarantine, regardless if they are going to be claimed, we do a 10-day rabies observation," she said.
When contacted, a family member of the victim did not wish to comment.
(Knoxville News Sentinel - March 23, 2012)
