The family of a 2-year-old Bellefontaine boy is upset that the dog they believe bit their child is still living next door.
Briley Ward, 2, was bitten Monday afternoon and treated at Mary Rutan Hospital in Bellefontaine, then later taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. He was back at home Thursday.
The dog in question is considered to be a dangerous dog, according to the Logan County Dog Warden Deputy Benji Avila. Avila said if the dog is found to have bitten Ward, a judge could order that the dog be euthanized.
“I never thought I was going to walk in and see a big hunk taken out of his face,” Ward’s grandmother Dusty Stratton said. “I’m kind of wondering how concerned Logan County is to what is going on to the kids around here.”
The Bellefontaine Police Department investigated the dog bite because Logan County’s dog warden was out of the office this week for personal reasons.
Stratton believes her neighbor’s dog was off its chain and got outside its fence and bit her grandson.
However, the dog’s owner, Jamie Baum, said her dog was never off its chain.
“The only way that 2-year old got bit is if he wasn’t being watched and got in this yard and got bit. Rocket was not off the chain,” Baum said.
Cassandra Reisinger, Ward’s aunt, said she saw someone chaining the dog back up just before she went to the hospital to join her other family members.
“When I was leaving, a lady grabbed up the smaller dog and put it on the chain,” Reisinger said.
Bellefontaine police Lt. Rick Herring said his detectives could not find any physical evidence indicating Baum’s dog bit Ward.
Ward’s grandmother hopes detectives will listen to the testimony of her 2-year-old grandson.
“Briley will tell you what dog did it. I think he should have a chance to identify his attacker,” Stratton said. “He is not a stupid little boy. He is smart. He can tell you what happened.”
Bellefontaine police will now turn the investigation over to the Logan County Health District.
Thank you for reading the Springfield News-Sun and for supporting local journalism. Subscribers: log in for access to your daily ePaper and premium newsletters.
Thank you for supporting in-depth local journalism with your subscription to the Springfield News-Sun. Get more news when you want it with email newsletters just for subscribers. Sign up here.