Spartanburg Is a Top Dog County…for Bites

Posted on Oct 20, 2015

An October 8, 2015 Spartanburg Herald Journal article reveals our county is not where we want to be for animal bites. Spartanburg ranks sixth statewide for all animal bites, with 115 dog bites so far this year. Greenville ranks third.

The article reveals startling facts about dog bite cases:

• Dog bites can be fatal. The article accounts an August 25, 2015 pit bull attack tragically claiming the life of 25-year-old Porsche Cartee. Worse, the culprit was the family dog. Officials stated the dog “just snapped,” attacking the entire family and clenching Ms. Cartee’s neck in its jaws until she passed away.
• Owners can be to blame. Disturbingly, some owners actually train their dogs to bite. Others let their dog roam free, with no fence or leash—a discipline failure known to increase the chances of a bite.
• What’s done after a dog bite report. Animal control officials quarantine the dog for 10 days, sometimes at the Humane Society, to be sure it doesn’t have rabies. After that, a determination is made whether to return it to the owner, put it up for adoption, or put it to sleep. In our experience, the quarantine can also be at the owner’s home.

Sadly, many dog bites are not a harmless nip, but brutal attacks leaving physical and emotional scars. Especially with children, these cases can involve deep facial scars requiring plastic surgery. But reconstructive surgery cannot always fix disfiguring scars, and that can mean a lifetime of hiding longstanding wounds and explaining them to peers.

If you or someone you love is a victim of a dog attack, contact us about your rights to be compensated for steep medical costs and permanent harm. You can talk to us by calling our toll free at (864) 582-0416 or fill out a Get Help Now form to have our team reach out to you.