A Clay County teen told investigators she was permanently disfigured by a neighbor’s dog while trying to save her puppy.
Clay County Animal Control impounded Guss, a brown 1-year-old mixed-breed dog, while it investigates.
“It was just a bunch of barking, and screaming and yelling,” said the teen’s 10-year-old neighbor Blake Higginbotham, who went with her to the hospital. “It was scary because I haven’t seen that much blood before.”
A fundraising page for this teen says a neighbor's dog bit off part of her ear in #GreenCoveSprings last week. #ClayCounty Animal Control tells me it's investigating, and a dog named "Gus" has been impounded. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/XCYfNg4aru
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) July 30, 2018
Photos show the 17-year-old girl’s ear is partially missing.
The teen told the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that Guss tried to attack her puppy Reesie, so she picked up the puppy to shield it.
That’s when she said Guss bit her ear, according to the sheriff’s office report.
“He’s not a vicious dog. I mean, he just wanted to play. But with her holding the dog above her head, he thinks it’s a toy,” said Matthew Coburn, one of Guss’ owners. “I think that his nails kind of just caught her earrings. Because the only thing he’s ever attacked in his life is a food bowl.”
This is Guss, the dog confiscated by #ClayCounty Animal Control after being accused of biting a #GreenCoveSprings teen. We've blurred the girl's ear, which appears to be partially missing. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/RndJ5GDUHG
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) July 30, 2018
After the girl was hurt, Justin Vansoest, who also lives with Guss, said two men came over with weapons.
“They came over with a hammer and a hatchet, both of them. They wanted to physically go inside the house and put the dog down themselves,” said Vansoest.
Vansoest showed Action News Jax bruises on his back that he said are from the attack.
“It was just a bunch of barking, and screaming and yelling.” With his grandma's permission, Blake Higginbotham told us about the moments after his friend was hurt by their neighbor's dog. The dog's owners tell us Guss was just trying to play. I'm live at 5 on CBS47 @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/hOw0hJNxqo
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) July 30, 2018
“The dude came out of nowhere. He hit me with a hammer three times. I picked him up off my back and then I slammed him on the floor, of course,” said Vansoest.
A Clay County Animal Control report mentions deputies “were taking statements regarding a physical altercation” involving “a hammer.”
“He’s not a vicious dog. I mean, he just wanted to play." Live at 5 on CBS47 @ActionNewsJax, why Guss' owners tell me they believe the dog didn't mean to hurt a teenage neighbor. pic.twitter.com/lth8QGdvnQ
— Jenna Bourne (@jennabourneWTSP) July 30, 2018
Action News Jax asked the teen’s mother, Brandy Obrien, about the hammer attack accusations.
“I am not sure what you are talking about and I am not speaking at this moment in time,” said Obrien.
Action News Jax reached out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to find out if the agency made any arrests related to the hammer attack accusations.
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