Dog bite victim on Jacksonville’s Northside calls for change

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman is calling for change after she says she was bitten by a dog in her northside neighborhood.

Action News Jax investigates recently told you about an increase in dog bites locally.

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The woman who only wanted to go by her first name, Holly, said she is traumatized. She said she was just doing her normal afternoon routine, walking her dog, when another dog attacked her. And now she says is suffering from physical, mental and emotional scars.

“I do not feel safe at all,” Holly said. “I don’t walk in my neighborhood anymore. I don’t want to I don’t plan to I have fear and anxiety when I walk in public areas as well.”

On March 8th, Holly says she was walking her dog around her neighborhood about 15 minutes away from her house – when another dog latched onto the back of her leg and attacked her.

RELATED: Action News Jax Investigates finds an increase in aggressive dog attacks

“I never saw it come, I didn’t hear a bark or anything,” Holly said. “I felt like it was terrorizing. I cried, I screamed for a very long time while it bit me.”

She says the attack only lasted a few seconds but did damage.

“I was given I believe one rabies shot on my arm and then six or seven on my leg around each bite mark and then a tetanus shot as well,” Holly said.

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Holly said she had to get five sutures. But her leg got infected, and she said she had to be on an IV of antibiotics in the hospital for about four days.

“It was just excruciating,” Holly said. “And I honestly just about lost my mind with the pain.”

Meanwhile – Animal Care and Protective Services is investigating. Holly says investigators told her she is the third person bitten by the same dog.

RELATED: Video shows pair of aggressive dogs tear through a car to get to a cat inside

“Which is insanity to me,” Holly said.

Holly says she requested records from ACPS that show – the first bite incident happened last May and the second happened this past December. The paperwork shows the dog was put on quarantine – but wasn’t classified as dangerous until now.

The documents also show ACPS took the dog and the owners have tried to file an appeal.

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“I’d definitely like to see a little bit more – a way to hold owners of dogs accountable,” Holly said. “And a way to know if a dog is dangerous in your neighborhood. And I’d also like to see the city and animal control follow up more carefully with every single dog bite that is called in and care for victims a little more – and treat victims with a little more care.”

Holly is still facing medical bills, and now plans to file a lawsuit through the small claims court.

Action News Jax reached out to ACPS for a comment, but as of this report, have not heard back.

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