Dog Owner Stunned by Vicious Attack;
Dog Attacked a 7-year-old Boy in Cleveland County
www.news14charlotte.com
June 4, 2004 EARL, N.C. -- A 7-year-old Cleveland County boy is in critical condition after a neighbor's dog attacked him Thursday morning. Paramedics had to airlift Brandon Ivie from his home near Earl to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
Around 8:45 a.m., Ivie was playing with his neighbor's dog, which was on a chain.
Ivie's mother said her son got too close and that the dog grabbed him around the neck with its teeth. She said she was also bitten when she tried to free her son from the dog's grasp. The dog latched on to Brandon Ivie's throat and would not let go.
CMC officials said Ivie had lost a large amount of blood by the time he arrived at the hospital.
The dog, a 6-year-old Akita named Boo Boo, is owned by the Adaway family. The Adaways said they were shocked when Boo Boo attacked.
Kimberly Adaway said she usually keeps Boo Boo on the running line near their trampoline. Thursday morning, screams coming from that part of the yard brought her running. When Adaway reached Boo Boo, she found him with his jaws locked down around the boy's throat.
"He had latched onto his neck from the back," she said. Adaway hit her dog until he loosened his grip, and Ivie's mother pulled her son away.
Kimberly Adaway said she will be more cautious about other people approaching her dogs.
Ivie's playmates filled in the details of the attack.
Ivie "was running toward the dog and slid and hit the dog," Adaway was told. "And the dog bit him."
Adaway said she has seen Ivie play with Boo Boo before and even hug him. Boo Boo "loves kids and anyone who comes toward him," she said. "I'm assuming he was scared of him."
The Adaways, who have four dogs, said they did a lot of research on Akitas when they got one. They even got a book from the Cleveland County Public Library that said Akitas make perfect baby sitters because they are so good and gentle with children.
"He's a good dog," Adaway said.
The Cleveland County Animal Control Bureau said the Adaways did not violate any laws because the dog was leashed and had all of his vaccinations. But the public health director has declared Boo Boo a dangerous dog, which means he will have to live out the rest of his life in a more secure enclosure.
Boo Boo will be quarantined at a veterinarian's office for 10 days as a precaution. The Adaways will have to purchase $100,000 of liability insurance if they plan to keep the dog.
Adaway said she does not have any concerns for the safety of her children when they are around Boo Boo. But she said she will be more cautious in the future.
"I don't want anyone near my dogs anyway, because you don't know what could happen," she said.
