LAKELAND, Ga. (WALB) – WALB learned details about a second violent dog attack in South Georgia in the last month.
WALB previously reported about the dog mauling in Brooks County that killed a 35-year-old mother of 4. Now, an elderly Lakeland woman is recovering after another dog attack.
The woman was attacked by several pit bulls in her family member’s yard over the weekend. According to a family member, the lady suffered several injuries causing her to have a shoulder replacement.
Several neighbors said that the aggressive dogs had bitten several people before this violent incident on Saturday. The Lakeland Police Department says they have removed several dogs in the past and warned owners about their behavior.
“There have been several citations issued to this residence. Several people in the residence. One day we go over there and they say oh it’s my dog, then the next day it’s this lady’s dog so about like three different people keep getting cited for these dogs,” Lakeland Police Department Captain James Sumner said.
A local veterinarian and dog behavioral expert who worked on several dog bite cases including the Brooks County deadly dog attack says there is a possibility for the dogs to be rehabilitated and rehoused with proper management.
“The first step is getting them out of the situation that they are in to make their world smaller so they have fewer things to react to and not spending their days barking at everybody that walks by. What they are rehearsing is calm, relaxed behavior in a controlled situation,” Dr. Amanda Hall-Phillips, veterinarian and animal behavioral specialist said.
The dogs were picked up by Alapaha Animal Control. The city of Lakeland is holding a hearing with the dog owners and victims this week to determine the best outcome for the community moving forward.
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