7-Year-Old And 8-Year-Old Mauled By Pit Bull

A 7-year-old boy required transport to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee on January 1 for the personal injuries he sustained when he was mauled by a pit bull.

According to a Bowling Green, Kentucky Police Department report, Tyron-Anthony Collins suffered severe bite injuries to his hand and leg and 8-year-old Trina Watson, both residents of Bowling Green, was bitten on the foot at approximately 4 p.m. on the day of the incident.

According to Bowling Green P.D. spokesman Barry Pruitt, 26-year-old Radale Nuckols, the caretaker for the dog was charged with harboring a vicious animal. The charge is a class A misdemeanor.

Pruitt said that the dog apparently was able to get off its chain and get into the back yard where the children were playing and attacked them.

Neighbors tried to beat the dog and get it away from the child, according to Pruitt. He said that Nuckols was able to pull the dog away from the boy and took it back to his home, where it bit the girl as he was attempting to restrain it.

According to the police report, Nuckols said that the dog belonged to his brother and he had been caring for it. Police say the dog had been tied up in the backyard.

Nuckols said that the dog had broken several collars and that the collar was being held together with duct tape.

According to the report, Nuckols said that children are constantly bothering the dog, coming into his yard, kicking at the dog and throwing things at it.

Pruitt said that there had been prior complaints of a pit bull getting loose at Nuckols’ residence. It is unknown if the dog involved in the attack is the same one involved in the prior complaints.

Pruitt said that the boy’s injuries were non-life-threatening and both children had received transport to The Medical Center. Watson’s injuries were minor and Collins required a transfer to Vanderbilt.

The dog was taken to Bowling Green-Warren County Animal Shelter and Pruitt said that possible addition charges could be filed against Nuckols.