13-year-old Darrius Carter was trying to keep his own dog, Camo, away from his neighbor’s fence in their backyard. The fence divides the two backyards. Carter slipped his leg under a hole in the fence and the neighbor’s dog, Copper, a German Shepherd- Pit bull mix bit him.
“Dairrus says all he remembers is when he went to pull Camo back from the fence his foot went into the hole and the dog grabbed his leg and pulled him under the fence,” explained Carter’s mother, Damita Carter. “He said he was pulling and gnawing and shaking it like it was a bone.”
Mrs. Carter was not there when it happened and her husband was inside their house but was vacuuming and could not hear his son’s screaming for help. Copper’s owner’s grandson heard the screaming and stopped the dog from biting Carter.
“He is traumatized,” said Mrs. Carter. “He’s upset and today said I hope the dog is not there when he gets here.”
Carter has had three surgeries since the attack on Saturday, October 6.
“His surgeon said his growth plate is broken,” said Mrs. Carter. “He’s had three surgeries this week and he has three pins inside his foot holding it together.”
This is the third time her children have been attacked in the last couple years by this same dog, but it is only the first time the Carter’s have reported the dog bite to Tulsa’s Animal Shelter.
“Our foster child was bit on the shoulder and side of his foot,” said Mrs. Carter. “Then our biological son, John, was over there petting the dog and when he turned to walk away the dog clamped on the back of his thigh, and John was running, he came into the house and he raised his pants leg, and you could see the white meat, and it looked l like a bear had taken his back leg.”
The Tulsa Animal Shelter told the Carters it can only begin the process of taking Copper away from his owner after three bites are reported.
“I don’t know if it is going to take,” said Mrs. Carter. “The dog to kill one of my kids or kill someone walking down the street.”
She said her son Darrius wakes up at night and screams out the dog’s name. She is worried about the long term affect the dog attack will have on him. He is scheduled for another surgery next month.
(KOKI - Oct 13, 2012)
