Bitten on Head, Neck, and Ear by Neighbor's 4- and 7-Year-Old Dogs
Owner Says "Will Euthanize After Returning from Animal Shelter"
Two young girls visiting relatives in Imsil-gun, Jeollabuk-do, during Chuseok were bitten by a large dog from a neighboring house. The photo shows the dog biting the children and running away. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] A 4-year-old girl was seriously injured after being bitten on the head, neck, and ears by a neighbor's dog while visiting family and relatives during the Chuseok holiday.
Miss A (4 years old) was bitten by a dog tied up next door around 12:30 PM on the 10th while playing by the roadside with her older sister, Miss B (7 years old), at their great-grandmother's house in Imsil-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
CCTV footage provided by A's mother, Ms. C, shows that after A and B came outside with their grandfather, the accident suddenly occurred. At the time of the incident, the dog was loosely tied up and attacked when the children approached.
The dog bite incident lasted less than a minute. However, Miss A suffered severe injuries, including torn ears on both sides and multiple deep wounds on her head and neck caused by the dog's sharp teeth. Miss B was bitten several times on her left arm while trying to defend her younger sister by pulling the dog's tail and biting the dog.
Miss A was immediately hospitalized at Jeonbuk National University Hospital for treatment and later transferred to the trauma intensive care unit at Ajou University Hospital before moving to a general ward. Miss B is currently receiving outpatient treatment.
Ms. C, the mother, said, "My child developed lung problems due to the dog bite wounds. The scars will remain forever. We want to resolve this amicably since we know the dog's owner well. However, some people have made jokes about cooking the dog even though the children were seriously injured, which makes me very upset."
The dog's owner said, "I feel very sorry that my nephews, who are like siblings, were hurt. The priority is the children's recovery, and I want to resolve the compensation smoothly." He added, "If the dog caught at the animal shelter returns, I will euthanize it."
Meanwhile, this is the first major dog bite incident in Imsil-gun, and the county is reviewing countermeasures.
Shim Min, the mayor of Imsil-gun, said, "The dog that caused the accident did not receive a rabies vaccination, so the bitten child must be observed in a general ward for three more weeks. Since the child was bitten by a dog in our county while visiting relatives, we are looking for ways to provide assistance."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
