A 65-year-old woman was mauled to death by the family pit bull in a gruesome attack that took place while she was babysitting her three young grandchildren earlier this month. After receiving reports of an animal bite from a neighbor, police arrived at the home where Betty Ann Chapman Todd was looking after her grandkids. …
A 65-year-old woman was mauled to death by the family pit bull in a gruesome attack that took place while she was babysitting her three young grandchildren earlier this month. After receiving reports of an animal bite from a neighbor, police arrived at the home where Betty Ann Chapman Todd was looking after her grandkids. What they found was a black and white pit bull with blood on its mouth, paws and chest blocking the officers’ entry into the house. By that time, Todd’s son, Andrew, and his wife returned home and got the pet under control, at which point they found the body of Todd in one of the rooms. According to the coroner’s report, Todd died from severe spinal and neck injuries in addition to puncture wounds to the head and face. If you have suffered devastating injuries in a dog bite accident in Oklahoma, contact our experienced attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center to discuss your legal options.
Even Gentle Family Pets Can Attack
According to a family member, the eldest grandchild was in another room when the pet pit bull lunged at the grandmother. When the girl discovered the dog attacking Todd, she attempted to stop the animal. When she couldn’t, she took her younger siblings to another room and called her father for help. Andrew Todd contacted a neighbor via telephone and the three children went to a nearby house until the police arrived. The dog attack comes as a tragic surprise to the Todd family, who has had the dog for four years and has never experienced any aggressive behavior from the animal in the past. “It slept in the bed with them,” said Betty Todd’s brother-in-law, and Andrew Todd told officials that his mother has stayed at his house before and got along with the family pet.
Contact Our Skilled Attorneys for Legal Help
Although the Todd’s dog has never shown any aggression towards the family or anyone else in the past, the dog was euthanized after the deadly mauling. The tragic dog attack is further proof that any dog, even pets that are typically submissive and gentle towards others, can inflict fatal injuries in a dog bite accident. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than four million adults and children are bitten by dogs in the United States every year, and in 60% of cases, the attack occurs in the dog owner’s home. Even more alarming, 77% of dog bite victims are family members or close friends of the dog owner, not strangers. If you have been injured in a dog bite accident in Oklahoma, or if you lost a loved one in a vicious dog attack, our knowledgeable lawyers at Oklahoma Legal Center can help. With out attorneys on your side, you can hold the dog owner liable for the attack and pursue financial compensation for your injuries and medical bills.