Rottweiler Attacks 11-Year-Old Girl
On November 23rd, an 11-year-old girl was attacked by a Rottweiler dog in Columbus, OH. Rayann Shott had to undergo three surgeries to repair the damage that was done to her leg. Shott and her sister were reportedly walking in an alley when the dog ran from an open gate. Shott stated she put herself in harm's way to avoid any harm to her little sister.
According to the dog’s owner, the dog was constantly being teased by kids passing by the yard and that’s why the dog attacked in the first place. However, Shott argues that the dog’s gate is always open and that the dog has bitten three people to date and she didn’t do anything to provoke the dog to attack her. In response, the dog’s owner stated that her dog is not dangerous except when provoked. The little girl’s family will be filing charges in this matter.
The argument that a dog is only dangerous when it is provoked is true to an extent. Dogs act on instinct and if they sense a threat, they will attack very quickly. It could be possible that children were teasing and provoking the dog in the past but that does not necessarily imply that Rayann Shott was doing so. Regardless whether a dog is constantly provoked or not, the owner should not leave the gates open for a dog to easily escape, as incidents like that can happen on a constant basis. It is still the owner’s responsibility to maintain security of their dog to ensure that neither the dog nor any innocent bystanders get hurt.
