Dog that attacked mother, children, set to be euthanized

BUNNELL, Fla. — Authorities said a woman and her children suffered major injuries when a dog broke out of its cage at the Second Chance Animal Shelter in Bunnell where she worked and jumped into the window of their van, attacking and biting the children.

They said the dog will eventually be euthanized.

The woman, whose name hasn't been released, said she left her two young children – ages 5 and 3 – in the van while she went into the shelter to do some work. The woman told authorities a the dog had broken out of his cage and jumped into the passenger side window of her minivan and went straight to her 3-year-old son, latching onto his head and dragging him to the floor.

The police report has the dog listed as a pit bull, but the shelter posted to its Facebook page that the dog is actually a lab-boxer mix

Police said the woman went after the dog, which continued to bite down on her son's face during the struggle.  When the mother grabbed the dog's mouth to pry it open, the animal then turned on her, biting her in the face and neck, authorities said.

The woman said she was able to gain control of the dog and drag it back to its cage but as she attempted to run into the shelter for help, the dog broke free again and jumped into the vehicle a second time.

The dog began attacking the woman's 5-year-old daughter, biting down on the girl's shoulder, dragging her to the floor.

The mother again was able to subdue the animal and drag it into a secured area. She then got into the van and drove to the owner's property, where she called 911.

A distraught, good Samaritan also called 911.

“The children have bite marks on their arms. The mother has bite marks on her face,” he told the 911 dispatcher.

The mother and children were taken to Florida Hospital in Flagler, where they received medical attention for multiple injuries.

When deputies arrived, they said there were large quantities of blood on all three victims and on the blankets which had been used to cover them up while they laid on the hospital beds.

The boy, deputies said, had blood gushing from his face, which has already started to swell and discolor from the bruising. Deputies said his eye socket also appeared to be damaged.

The daughter was in another bed with bandages on her shoulder, crying in pain, according to the report.

Authorities said the mother had blood leaking down her cheek and neck and was attempting to calm her children.

Paramedics said the mother suffered puncture wounds on her left temple, behind her left ear and on her arms. They said she had puncture wounds to the front and rear of her right shoulder and lacerations on the same side. She also had a puncture wound to her right hand.

Medics said the boy was in the worst condition with a puncture wound to his right eye. The boy also had a tear in the upper and lower parts of his mouth, along with a large puncture under his chin.

He also had puncture marks and deep lacerations to his right upper eye, along with missing a tooth in his mouth and multiple lacerations to his face and upper body, according to the report.

The shelter is disputing the police report and said in a post on its Facebook page that the woman let the dog out to go to the bathroom when it got loose and that it did not escape from its cage.

They claim the dog was left at its gate by a homeless man and it was friendly, so they took it in, according to the Facebook post.

"The fact is though, that if these Humane Societies were not charging a drop off fee, we would not be known as the dumping ground for unwanted animals," the post went on to say.

Flagler County Animal Control said it picked the animal up for a 10-day quarantine.

Aauthorities plan to euthanize the dog when the quarantine is over.

The Department of Children and Families and the Sheriff’s Office are also investigating the case.

WFTV