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Highlands Today

Off-Duty AP Police Dog Bites Girl

SHE’S DOING OK, GOT 19 STITCHES

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By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: June 18, 2007

SEBRING - An off-duty Avon Park Police Department dog bit a 9-year-old Sebring girl Sunday afternoon while she visited the K-9 officer's daughter at their Sebring home.

The victim, Madisyn Griffis, received 19 stitches on her arm, said her father Ordie Griffis. She has been released from Highlands Regional Medical Center.

Police Chief Frank Mercurio said the K-9 officer was giving the German shepherd, Lokie, a bath outdoors in the backyard. The dog was on its leash and was tied to its kennel.
"The officer went inside to get a towel," he said.

It was then the officer's daughter and her friend went out into the yard.
"It appears the 9-year-old girl fell," Mercurio said. "But our multi-purpose K-9 engaged and bit the child several times on the arm.

"It was an accident. Our police K-9 bit a person that it wasn't supposed to bite."
The victim was good friends with the officer's daughter and has played with the dog since the officer got the dog.

A report is in the process of being written and an internal review will be conducted, Mercurio added.
Ordie Griffis said his daughter was "a little shaken."

There was no bone damage to Madisyn's arm "but there's going to be some pretty nasty scarring," he added.

The family decided a take the little girl in their car instead of an ambulance to make it less traumatic for her, the dad said.

"I rode in the back seat with Madisyn," he said. "She's doing OK."

Lokie, a 19-month-old pure bred German Shepherd, is a new K-9, who had only recently been assigned to his handler.

Ironically, he was going to be returned to the kennel where he was purchased from because his search skills were not up to par, Mercurio said.

"It ran into a problem in the past week that has nothing to do with the incident. The dog's drive to be able to search buildings was not up to par and it's on its way back to the kennel," he added.
Darryl Scott, director of Highlands County Animal Control, said dog bite cases are common.
"We do bite cases constantly," he said. "We do them each week. The little girl fell down, she tripped and fell and it bit her on the right arm."

Scott pointed out that animals, even well trained ones, are unpredictable.
"Too many people try to put human attributes to animals," he said. "When you boil it down, it's still an animal. It's, no matter how much training, it's still a dog."

Meanwhile, the K-9 officer spent several hours at the victim's side at the hospital, her dad said.
What struck him and still sticks with him was Madisyn told them she was glad this didn't happen to her friend.

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