South Carolina: "He grabbed my four-year-old nephew. He started biting him and ripping his flesh off." Four-year-old boy mauled by a stray pit bull

SOUTH CAROLINA -- The owner of the pit bull that attacked a 4-year-old boy in Dillon now faces numerous charges.

Za’ Quinzey Ditalia Bethea, 4, was attacked by a pit bull Monday night at a home on West Washington Street in the Jacksonville area of Dillon, according to Dillon Police Chief David Lane.

Chief Lane says the injuries required surgery, but the young boy is back home recovering.

“He is a very loving child and loves dogs. I can’t believe this happened to him,” said Za’ Quinzey’s aunt, Asia Bethea. Bethea adds that the family has made several trips back to the hospital for Za’ Quinzey following his initial surgery.

The dog did not belong to the Bethea family. According to Chief Lane, the dog’s owner, Andrew Campbell, 34, is charged with ownership of dangerous animal with attack on human, failing to register his dog with the city of Dillon, and leash law violation.

Campbell is in police custody. Chief Lane adds that the dog has also been seized.

DILLON, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS A PIT BULL LAW THAT CAMPBELL IGNORED

Dillon City Ordinance 6-5-1 passed in 2008 says:

There shall be an irrefutable presumption that any dog that is Pit Bull is a dangerous dog and is therefore subject to the requirements of this ordinance. Pit Bull dog means and includes any of the following dogs:
(A) The Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed of dogs.
(B) The American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dogs.
(C) The American Pit Bull Terrier breed of dogs.
(D) Dogs that have the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of the breed of dogs known as Staffordshire Bull terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, or American Staffordshire Terrier.
The owner has to pay a registration fee of $5 for a metal tag per each dog. The metal tag should be kept fastened to the collar of the pit bull dog and display the serial number and the year of registration. Each registration tag expires on June 30 of each year, according to the ordinance.

The ordinance also says:

It shall be unlawful for any person to own or have in their possession any pit bull dog within the city limits of Dillon which does not have a current registration tag from the city Police Department. It shall be the duty of any person within the city limits of Dillon owning or having in his possession any pit bull dog, to immediately register their dog with the city Police Department within six (6) months after adoption of this section.

The owners of the dogs also have to maintain a general liability insurance policy insuring against liability resulting from acts of the dog in the amount not less than $300,000 for bodily and personal injury, as well as property damage.

The ordinance says pit bulls have to confined to the owner's property limits "by a fence in the height of six (6) foot which cannot be buckled or moved by the pit bull dog running into the fence. Such fence shall be of brick, masonry, or other material with a minimum total area of not less than one hundred (100) square feet and having a life expectancy of not less than ten (10) years constructed in such a way to prevent the pit bull dog from easily climbing over or going under the fence so that there will be no opportunity for the pit bull dog to reach persons on land not controlled by the owner."

EARLIER:

A four-year-old boy was attacked by a pit bull Monday evening on West Washington Street in the Jacksonville community of Dillon, according to Dillon Police Chief David Lane.

The boy had to have immediate surgery for his wounds, according to his aunt Asia Bethea.

She identified the child as Zaquinzey Bethea.

Bethea said they were all standing outside when the pit bull came out of nowhere.

Bethea added there were four adults and three children outside when the dog started attacking and mauling her little nephew and wouldn't stop.

"He grabbed my four-year-old nephew. He started biting him and ripping his flesh off. When we finally got the dog away from my nephew, we ran inside the house.

"The dog came behind us inside the house. We closed ourselves in a bedroom. And we started slamming the dogs head in the door. And he finally gave up and went out of the house," Bethea said.

She said they immediately called 911 and paramedics took the child to the hospital.

Lane said Tuesday evening that they had found the dog, but he said they were still looking for it's owner to determine if it should have been registered.

(WBTW - Jan 4, 2017)