A 10-year-old autistic boy was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon with dog bites to both legs after he was chased and bitten by two pit bulls from his neighbors’ house on Zonal Court in Palm Coast.
A Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the location of the incident after 2 p.m./ Tuesday, when the dogs, called Trinity and Isis, were still loose. The deputy helped secure the dogs and return them to their address at 18 Zonal Court, while the victim was being transported to Florida Hospital Flagler by his mother.
Tammy Von Tausch, the victim’s 50-year-old mother, told a deputy that her son had been chased into the woods by the two dogs. The young boy had left the house from the back door when his mother wasn’t looking for a brief moment. Von Tausch immediately ran out when she noticed he’d left, and saw him running from the dogs, according to an incident report. The dogs bit the boy “several times,” the report states.
The neighbors’ garage door had been left open at 18 Zonal Ct. The young boy, the report states, “has been known to go to the home and open doors.” The boy’s mother told police that the neighbors are aware of that propensity “and still do not lock their doors.”
Randy Hasher, a 21-year-old resident at 18 Zonal Court, acknowledged that the child had walked into the house several times before. Hasher told a deputy that “he left his outside garage door open, but he knows for a fact that he closed the interior garage door and that his dogs were inside.”
A neighbor and witness who was outside during the dog attack told police she saw the young boy running into the woods as the dogs were biting him. Animal Control arrived on scene and said the pit bulls would have to be quarantined for 10 days at the Humane Society, though Hasher was allowed to take the dogs there himself.
The attack is the latest in a series of attacks by dogs on Palm Coast and county residents, most of those attacks by pit bulls or pit bull mixes, the last one resulting in injuries to a 76-year-old woman in the F Section in October.
Seminole Pride says
Looks like the boy let the dogs out. Maybe to play with the dogs. The boy panic and started running..You should never show fear around dogs, they can sense it.
Retired FF says
Pit bulls need to be outlawed. They are a know dangerous dog.
mattbl says
So this kid goes into a neighbor’s house and opens a door and it’s somehow the fault of the neighbor, according to the mother? Come on. These dogs were doing what dogs do – protecting their territory. I hope this kid is okay and I hope the dogs are returned to the owner, and I especially hope the mother takes this lesson and makes it more difficult for her child to get out of the house.
Cloey jade says
Why is it the neighbors responsibility to keep up with this child?!? When a child is disabled especially, the parent of that child should be extra vigilant with that child. Im sickened that the neighbors are being blamed while the actual parents aren’t held accountable. Welcome to the new world where no one takes responsibility for their own failures. I’m sorry this child was injured but this is 100% on the parents who should have at the very least knowing their child is mentally incapable of reason, made sure that there was no way for him to slip out unsupervised. Who would be to blame if this child had drown, been run over or kidnapped?!?
Gia says
This is a vicious race of dogs they should not be allowed in any community. People just don’t get it.
merese says
http://voicesofthevictims.org/victims-stories/media/wontbackdown-psa/ Irronically this is NATIONAL CANINE VICTIMS AWARENESS WEEK
fruitcake says
When is Palm Coast going to wise up and ban pit bulls like they did in south Florida?
Dave says
I am not a pit bull fan by any means but in this case it Sounds like a case of the dogs defending their own home , The mother of this child needs to be a little more aware of where her child is at all times , Maybe even invest in better locks to keep him safe.
lisa moyer says
It is time for the state to tighten and enforce the statues for pit bull attacks and enforce it unilaterally across the state. each municipality enforces as they see fit . Some place do a great job- Deltona and rural Volusia county. and other places do a horrible job- Port Orange
Louies-law.org
Robin says
While a totally agree mom should be more vigilant about where her child is at ALL times it doesn’t sound like it’s been established that the child let the dogs out of the neighbor’s house for sure on this occasion.
Just because he has in the past doesn’t mean he let them out this time.
The neighbor said he’s positive he left his interior doors closed, c’mon what else is he going to say?
With that type of dog, in order to remove ALL doubt, the neighbor should also leave his big outside garage door down too. That way the dogs have absolutely no way of getting out and hurting anybody.
Just my opinion of course.
Barb says
My thoughts exactly!
Ashley says
I know if anyone walked into my house my dog would attack, it’s their instinct to protect their territory. This isn’t a matter of vicious pit bulls, maybe the mother should’ve been watching her child, whose AUTISTIC. It’s a shame the dogs are the ones being punished for a mom who let her kid go out and open up the neighbors door..
Anonymous says
Maybe this is an unfair question but why is a 10 year old autistic child at home on a Tuesday afternoon? Are there no programs in this area that include supervision for this young person?
Benjamin Grimm says
An excellent question that should be asked by everyone in this forum.
Ron says
I have owned Pit Bulls for over 20 years. Let me correct myself here. Pit Bulls have been part of my loving family for over 20 years. I am 55 and have had many types of dogs. Pit Bulls are by far the most loyal and loving of them all. Like humans if you raise and treat them right they are more than you can ever expect as a loving companion. Unless you have had the experience of raising and loving this breed (as well as being loved in return) you should really consider not jumping the gun to leave a inexperienced comment. There are many bad breeds in all living creatures on this earth. The most vicious and dangerous is called HUMANS. The Media (run by HUMANS) love the attention and money they make from all the advertising that Pit Bulls news attract. You most likely will never read child bit by Labrador Retriever because it draws no attention or interest. They are extremely strong animal. Unfortunately some people breed and train these dogs to kills for this reason. You get what you give. In all breeds. Especially Humans.