Felony charges filed against parents in dog bite incident

[cheekymunkee]

Parents charged in dog bite

Thursday, January 18, 2007 4:41 PM EST

Felony child abuse charges are filed against a Rome Township couple.

From staff reports

ADRIAN — A Rome Township couple face felony child abuse charges for bringing a pit bull terrier into their home that mauled their 10-year-old son on Dec. 30. The boy was taken to a Toledo hospital for treatment of severe wounds to his left arm, according to Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department reports.

The boy’s mother, Amanda Jane Gilbert, 30, was arraigned Monday in Lenawee County District Court and his stepfather, Kelly James O’Neill, 34, was arraigned Wednesday. Both face second-degree child abuse charges that carry maximum four-year prison terms. They are also charged with misdemeanor counts for failure to license or vaccinate three pit bull terriers police found at their home on U.S. 223.

Gilbert called for help after a male pit bull terrier attacked her son inside their home at about 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 30. Sheriff’s department reports said she pulled the dog off her son. She and the boy then shut themselves inside a bathroom for safety.

The dog kept an ambulance crew from entering the house until O’Neill arrived home and was able to lock it inside a cage, reports said.
The boy was taken first to Bixby Medical Center before being transferred to a hospital in Toledo for treatment of severe injuries to his forearm and serious bite wounds to his upper arm. Gilbert was also bitten while struggling with the dog, reports said.

All three dogs were taken to the Lenawee Humane Society shelter in Adrian for observation. The male pit bull was euthanized Jan. 1 after staff there reported it was acting viciously toward them.

Deputies reported O’Neill agreed on Dec. 30 that the attack was unprovoked and the dog should be put down.

The dog, named “Diesel,â€

[Gatsu]

that dog should of been PTS by the first owner s is he was humanly aggressive!!!!

Did the parents now of the dogs history when getting him?

[luvmyangels]

[mnp13]

let's see... they took in a dog that they KNEW was human aggressive and had "attitude", then they didn't feed the dog for a day, then let the dog in to the house where they are sitting on the floor eating? Gee, I wonder why the dog went after the food?

They SHOULD be charged with child endangerment.