Dogs may be a man’s best friend but sometimes an unattended dog can cause serious problems for innocent people. Any Connecticut resident who has ever suffered dog bite injuries knows this all too well. In addition to intense physical pain and permanent scarring or disfigurement, the emotional pain of suffering from a vicious dog attack can leave a person afraid of these pets for life.
Such could be the future for one Bridgeport, Connecticut, teenager today. In 2014, the 13-year old girl was the victim of an animal attack that left her with a noticeable scar on her face. For a girl who had previously dreamed of a career as a model, this is a crushing blow. The attack took place one day as the girl was simply walking by a home with an open gate to the yard.
A small dog came out through the gate and bit at the girl’s ankle. While she was focused on the first dog, a second dog appeared. This dog, a Labrador retriever according to reports, was big enough to stand on its hind legs and put its front paws on the girl’s shoulders. From this position, the dog bit the girl’s right cheek, requiring stitches. She was also forced to get rabies shots as the vaccination status of the dog was unknown at the time. A lawsuit has recently concluded with an award of more than $236,000 to be paid to the victim by the dog’s owner.
Situations like these can be understandably traumatic, especially for children. People who are injured by another person’s dog might be able to get help by talking to an attorney.