Through the darkness, Millard could see his son flailing. Three dogs had charged out of the house, and one had Chance Millard by the leg.
“It was the most blood-curdling scream,” Millard said. “You could hear the dogs growling and barking.”
Millard, 31, lunged at the female pit bull and pushed it off his son, but the dog turned on him.
“The dog latched onto me and I tried to pull away,” Millard said. “It was a split-second, like a rubber band snapping. It had a chunk of my leg.”
A week later, Millard and his son are dealing with the aftermath of the incident, which happened just before 10 p.m. on June 1 in front of 350 30th St. Dr. SE.
Animal control officers eventually impounded all three dogs, and an investigation is under way. No charges have been filed, and the fate of the dogs is uncertain.
Six stitches were needed to close the gash on Chance’s right leg, which was deep enough to see bone, and at least 10 puncture wounds dot his leg, arm and buttocks. Corey Millard suffered a 3-inch wound on the back of his right calf, and he said the lower leg has been numb ever since. Doctors have told him he may have nerve damage.
According to Millard, the dog owner had asked if his friend’s little boy could play with Chance the night of the incident. The two boys spent time at Millard’s apartment, but headed back across the quiet street. When the other boy opened the door, the three dogs ran out and went after Chance, Millard said. The other boy was not injured.
The screams brought Deb Gatewood off her porch down the street. She would realize moments later that they were from her grandson.
“That was something you never want to hear,” Gatewood said. “I panicked and couldn’t breathe. I wondered who was crying. All I could see was the white dog and the dark dog.”
Corey Millard was less than 100 yards away, standing outside near his truck, when it happened. The dog owner and his friend helped restrain two of the dogs, while the white pit bull remained loose. Once he kicked the dog off of him, Millard ran to his son in the street, scooped him up and carried him back to the steps of their apartment building.
An ambulance rushed Millard and his son to St. Luke’s Hospital. They were released early Saturday morning.
Chance, who had finished up first grade the day before the attack, was back on his feet a couple days later. Asked Friday if he was scared, he quickly shook his head. He said he has enjoyed the ice cream, pop and well-wishes since he was bitten.
“He did awesome,” Millard said. “He didn’t cry. Even in the ambulance ride, I was right next to him and had my hand on him to keep him calm. He stayed collected.”
Millard was surprised to see two of the three pit bulls still at the house across the street when they returned Saturday from the hospital. He said he learned later that animal control had only taken a black pit bull away from the home, based on the dog owner’s account of what happened. He said he called police Saturday, urging them to impound the other two dogs, but was told nothing could be done until animal control was operating on Monday.“Look at how many kids have been mauled and killed. How many more is it going to take?”
On Monday, animal control returned to remove the other two dogs.
Diane Webber, animal control manager, said the initial report had only one dog involved in the attack. Her department was notified later that all three dogs were involved, but she said that has not been confirmed. State law requires a 10-day quarantine on any dog involved in a dog bite.
Authorities determined all three dogs had up-to-date vaccinations.
“There’s some question as to who was there and at what point,” Webber said. “There are different stories out there. We’re still checking out those stories, and they keep changing.”
The Cedar Rapids City Council revised its dangerous animal ordinance late last year. Dangerous animals, defined as ones that bite or have a history of attacking people or other domestic animals one or more times without provocation, can be euthanized or moved to a residential facility once the court finds the owner in violation of the ordinance.
Webber said if the investigation reveals that any of the dogs should be declared as dangerous, a citation would be issued that the pet owner can challenge in court. If a judge upholds the city’s citation, the dog or dogs would be no longer be allowed to live in Cedar Rapids, she said.
“This type of bite would typically be declared dangerous, which is much the same as the old ‘vicious,’” Webber said.
Gatewood said the young boy who opened the door and witnessed the attack later blamed himself for the attack, saying, “I should have shut the door.” She said she tried to reassure him that it was the dogs’ fault and not his. She fears the boy and her son will need counseling after witnessing the dog attack.
Gatewood said Cedar Rapids should consider banning pit bulls, just as some other Iowa cities have done in recent years.
“Our laws need changed,” Gatewood said. “Look at how many kids have been mauled and killed. How many more is it going to take?”
(The Gazette - June 8, 2012)
