A 4-year-old girl was killed in a dog attack while swimming at her home in Visalia. The Daily Mail reported that Zoey Hawkins was getting out of her kiddie pool on Sept. 4, 2024, when her father went inside to get a towel. By the time the father returned the family’s pit bull bit Zoey in her armpit. Tragically, Zoey died from her wounds after being transported to an area hospital. The father reported he was only away for a few seconds when the attack occurred. Our condolences go out to the entire family for this heartbreaking loss. They will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Zoey’s cousin, Pearl Vargas, told media the family was in disbelief because the dog had been around her for more than two years. She said the girl and the dog were always around each other and would play together. The parents even have a Facebook page dedicated to their pit bull. The family allowed the dog to be put down following the attack. Pearl Vargas says they have two other infant children along with dealing with the trauma of Zoey’s passing and they will not be getting another dog.
Dog attacks involving pit bulls have been increasingly in the news for years. Pit bulls which include American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier, are frequently the primary target of discussions about dangerous dog breeds due to the perceived severity of their attacks. Any aggression from a dog depends on many factors and the most common factor is training. According to studies and statistics, pit bulls are involved in approximately 61% of all dog attacks in America while making up slightly less than 6% of all dogs. Some municipalities ban the ownership of certain breeds, particularly pit bulls, in an effort to reduce dog attacks. Critics of such laws argue that they unfairly target pit bulls. They want to see efforts focused on owner accountability and education about responsible pet ownership.
Education and proactivity may protect children from dangerous dogs as well as:
- Teaching gentle interaction with consistent animal supervision and interaction.
- Educating children on how to interact with dogs. Teach children to be calm, gentle, and avoiding rough play or grabbing the dog’s ears, tail, or fur.
- Never leave children alone with any dog, even a family pet. Supervise all interactions to ensure they remain safe and appropriate.
- Teach children to not disturb the dog when it is eating, sleeping, or resting in its crate or bed. Dogs are both territorial and protective.
- Socialize and train your dog.
- Watch for signs of aggression.
- Teach children that when any dog is stressed or agitated, such as growling, showing teeth, or having raised fur, and to move away calmly.
- Set boundaries
- Create safe spaces for both children and dogs, allowing the dog to retreat to a quiet area if it needs to be alone.
If any dog attacks you or a loved one immediate action is critical. Your first should be getting to a safe location to avoid further injury and once there assess the severity of the wounds and take the appropriate action. Minor injuries may be handled by washing the site with soap and water to reduce the risk of infection, then apply an antiseptic and cover the wound with a clean bandage. More serious injuries may require immediate and professional intervention. Deep bites may require stitches and may rise to the level of requiring rabies treatment. All injuries sustained in this manner should be reported to the authorities. It’s wise to document the incident with photos of the injury site and when possible gathering information about the dog, its owner and vaccination status.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com
