Dog attack sends woman to hospital
Published 11:58 am Wednesday, June 7, 2017
By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer
The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on June 5 at around midnight reporting that a woman had been bitten by an animal.
According to the police report, the victim, Dona Morgan, was attacked by five dogs on County Road 265 in Clanton.
“I noticed Morgan was covered in blood and mud,” Deputy Edwin Freeman stated in the report. “Morgan had severe laceration to her legs, arms, neck and back.”
The victim had been walking on County Road 265 at the time of the incident.
Officers responding to the scene began first aid. When paramedics arrived, the victim was transported to St. Vincent’s Chilton. Sherriff John Shearon said the victim was later transported to University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital.
Sherriff John Shearon there are no leash laws in Chilton County, so owners cannot be cited for letting dogs run loose.
“There is a state leash law, but the counties have to enact it,” Shearon said.
Enacting the state leash law would include other laws regarding dogs.
However, there is a law in place in the county requiring a dog that has bitten someone to be quarantined. The owner of the dogs, whose name was redacted from the police report, has contacted the Sheriff’s Office stating this would be too expensive for him to comply. Shearon met with the dog owner on June 7 to discuss the issue. Shearon said the dogs have been quarantined at a veterinarian office, and the owner is in compliance.