In a hearing Tuesday afternoon, Melissa Frye, the mother of Wesley Frye, said the pit bull known as “Kno” attacked her then-5-year-old son with the intention of killing him.
“He was out to kill Wesley,” she said.
Frye’s two sons had spent the night at a neighbor’s house, and when Wesley went to get cereal, the dog attacked, Melissa Frye said. Eventually, the dog attacked three times, twice pulling away from the grasp of its owner, Julie Long, to do so.
“The dog had an agenda,” Melissa Frye said.
Wesley Frye, now 6, was airlifted to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah and underwent two separate surgeries. Melissa Frye said her son continues to undergo speech therapy and will have permanent damage from the attack.
The Fryes have asked for the dog to be put down. Since the attack last July, the dog has been housed at the Effingham County animal shelter.
Mickey Kicklighter, the court-appointed attorney for the dog, said he has arranged for the dog to be taken to Glen Wild Animal Refuge in New York, where the owner, Linda Keller, has agreed to submit to the court’s jurisdiction. Should the dog be sent there, it will not be adopted out and would not be allowed near children.
Judge William Woodrum said he will render his decision in 10 days and also said he may to go the shelter to see the dog.
(Effingham Herald - July 30, 2013)
