I Feel Just Awful!!!

[shelly]

(I posted this in the regular forum, but really wanted to post here  as well - where we share the love of our classes....)

     I am always excited to see my class after coming back from a long vacation.  I had about 4 kids absent and just assumed they were sick or still on vacation.  The secretary called into my classroom and asked me to stop by before I left for the day.  When I did, I was told one of the most terrifying stories I think I ever heard..... One of the girls in my class was bit on her face by a friend's dog on Christmas Eve.  She had to have 95 stitches! The German Shepherd got a hold of her face and would NOT let go!  She has 35 stitches between her eyes, about 20 under each eye and more along her jawline.  Not that this should happen to ANY child, but she is just the most beautiful, petite, sweetest little girl!  One who you could picture as a cheerleader and Valedictorian of her class.  Her mom said she is in for more surgeries.  I can't even begin to imagine what this little girl and her parents went through that night!

    Unfortunately, the mom told me she later found out that this dog has bitten three times before.  I'm not sure what happened with the dog, but it surely has turned my stomach!

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Wow! That is terrible! I'm sure she is traumatized beyond belief. That was really close to her eyes- I hope they didn't get damaged. That is a lot of stitches! German Shepherds have a very powerful bite.  My mom and dad have a one year old Shepherd and I begged them to get a different breed, but they insisted. Fortunately they got lucky and have one of the sweetest, most friendly Shepherds I've ever known. He is huge, but he is just a big goofball. The little girl in your class has my prayers and I hope she makes a good recovery!

[Carol]

That is horrible!  My nephew was recently bit by a dog over the Christmas break as well that required 21 stitches. In Washington state they have a 1 bite rule and the dog gets put down. I'm not sure what it is in your state but 3 bites is definitely 1 bite too many!

[1nhzi2aljzh3g]

That is so upsetting, I hope she is ok.  Last year a very similar thing happened with one of my students.  Her longtime lab was lying in bed with her and her mother watching TV one night, and rolled over and bit my student on the face, over her nose and right under her eyes.  She had to be rushed to the emergency room and had stiches in her eyes.  for months after she went to various doctors and they kept checking her vision, and scars.  Luckily, she was ok and the scars are almost gone a year later but the dog unfortunately had to be put down.  The little girl was so upset and thought for awhile she did something to bother him and apologized to her mom over and over.

[shelly]

Awe!  That is just so sad when a child blames herself...  I just can't get the picture out of my head of the poor mom seeing her daughter's face bleeding by her eyes!  I will talk to the mom again tomorrow and see how she is doing.  She (Genesis) sounded so pitiful when I spoke to her on the phone the other day to see how she was doing.... just so sad!  Thanks for all of your good wishes!  I have to speak to my class about it tomorrow.  They are all asking where she is - funny - it's only been this week, but kids just naturally feel when one of our classmates is out for more than a couple of days!  I think I'm just going to relate dogs to 'strangers' and say that not all dogs are bad (so many have pets) and some can't be trusted... I did speak to the school's psychologist to see the best way to handle their questions.. should be a very interesting day!  Huh....

[Lynda Kamrath]

That is just horrible.  In California also, there is a law about dog bites.  When a dog  bites the first time, he is considered an offender and if he bites anyone else again, he needs to be put down.  I know that because our puppy bit my son on the lip while they were playing and I took him to Doctors on Duty for a couple of stitches.  The police came and said the dog was registered as an offender and would have to be put down if she bit anyone else at any time.  We were devastated, but I can see the value of that kind of law.  That poor, poor child and the trauma she and her parents must have gone through (and still will have to go through).