Boy mauled by dog released from hospital, animal put down
Published:Wednesday | January 13, 2021 | 12:13 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
Five-year-old Carson Lattibeaudiere, who was mauled by a mongrel dog belonging to a cousin, while he assisted his grandfather in taking out trash last December, has been released from hospital.
Although scarred, his mother, Tamara Bonner, has reported that the child is already “up and about”.
Managing Director of the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), Pamela Lawson, told The Gleaner on Monday that the dog involved has already been euthanised. She shared that the owner complied with the request of the police and signed off to have the process undertaken.
A second dog that is housed at the premises was left there, as it was not involved in the attack.
DOING REALLY GOOD
Bonner is excited to have her son back at home. She shared that all the bandages were removed, but watching him count the scars on his arms, left leg, neck and head is a painful experience.
“He is doing really good. He is up and about. Every now and then he will cry for headaches, but other than that he is OK. He came out on Tuesday evening. We are very, very happy (to have him home). We are glad that he is OK and up and running. He didn’t talk to anybody until about Thursday. No matter how you go and ask him if he is alright, him not talking to you. I am not sure why. I am wondering if [it is] because nobody couldn’t visit him at the hospital. He just wasn’t talking to anybody, only me. By Thursday, he started to play.”
She added: “The bandages are all off. There are a lot of scars. Around Friday night he was counting the scars and said, ‘Mommy, a suh much bite the dog gimmie?’ I just thank God he is OK,” she told The Gleaner.
“They gave me a cream to rub on the scars. But right at his cheek, close to his neck, there is a bulge that I am just hoping he will grow out. I just give him Panadol for the pain. I was at home when they came, and the police came along with them and let him know that they are here for the dog. The police advised me to take pictures and videos as proof the dog was taken away. Which I did. I am very grateful for them helping me out.”
She said her father, Milton, who was bitten three inches deep in one of his legs during the incident at their St Andrew-based home while trying to save his grandson, is also recovering well.
“My father is OK. He is back at work. He goes to dress his wounds every week. I just thank God Carson is OK and is up and about. He walks with a limp. He doesn’t press down on the injured leg. He cannot walk flat on that foot. I hope that further down everything will be OK.”
On November 17, the Dogs (Liability for Attacks) Act 2020 was passed in the House of Representatives, with criminal and civil liabilities for persons whose dogs attack, injure and/or cause death to a person. The bill was approved in the Senate in December.
The bill was passed following several attacks on members of the public, including five-year-old Mickele Allen.
Fines ranging from $500,000 to $3 million, or imprisonment from six months to 15 years, are being proposed as criminal penalties where an individual is attacked by a dog. The law also provides for civil liabilities if the dog causes injury in any place other than its home or where it is normally kept.