Family dog ​​released from animal shelter almost two weeks after attack on toddler

The family of a toddler who was injured in a dog attack over a week ago picked up the dog from the animal shelter on Sunday.

According to Kimberly Kruger, Gunner’s owner, the attack occurred after her daughter, 2-year-old Kennedy Aikens, fell on Gunner, who Kruger said suffers from a broken hip.

Aikens spent six days in the hospital recovering from the dog bite that left a deep wound on her face.

The family picked up the dog from the shelter over the weekend. While the dog will not return home with the child, Jennifer Federico of Wake County Animal Services said she was surprised the family came back to pick up the dog given the child’s injuries.

“I learned that we can’t predict what people will do with their pets,” she said.

Federico said that animal protection services cannot prohibit owners from reclaiming their pet after a dog bite, but they are working to classify the dog as dangerous.

According to Federico, this would include:

However, if the dog is deemed dangerous and bites again, the owners may not get a second chance to get it back.

“If the dog bites again, we could euthanize him after the second bite,” said Federico.

Wake County Animal Services said the dog could be listed as dangerous later this week. Aikens continues to recover and Kruger said she is doing much better.

What to do if a dog attacks?

Before the pandemic, 5 On Your Side’s Monica Laliberte spoke to experts about warning signs that a dog may be turning and how to protect yourself if this happens.

Although dog bites are rare, it is important to know that less serious attacks can often be prevented in the first place.

For example, avoid eye contact when a dog approaches.

Gruen also warns against running away. “I think the urge is there to run away, and that can often make the situation worse,” she says. The reality is that most people can’t run faster or even ride faster than a dog.

Instead, Gruen says the best response is to lie on the ground and curl up like a rock, protecting your head and neck.