CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - At least two children were bitten and one scratched by a pit bull dog running loose in a Chesterfield County neighborhood Wednesday morning, according to Chesterfield Police spokeswoman Elizabeth Caroon.
Parents confirm at least three other children were bit in the same incident at a bus stop just feet from a home on Poacher Rd. where the dog was being kept.
Police were called to Poachers Rd. around 9:00 a.m. to investigate reports of a large dog on the loose. Caroon said it appeared the dog was let out of a home by a friend of the dog's owner.
The pit bull's owner Jasmine Sublett claimed she wasn't home at the time of the incident.
"Because he let the dog out this is what happened," said Sublett. She claimed that a family member let the dog out upon being asked to leave the home and the dog was still a puppy .
"He is in no way shape or form aggressive," she said.
Five children were at the bus stop when the dog bit one of the students on the leg and another on the backside, police said. The dog scratched a third student. The two remaining students were being checked for possible exposure.
"A pitbull had attacked the kids at the bus and I went with Christopher to EMS so they could see his wounds," said Kermit Williams, who said he had a frightening start to his day after hearing the news.
Christopher got bitten on the inside of his thigh and was bandaged treated later by a doctor.
"It's got a couple of red welts leading up to cut," said Williams.
The dog is now under quarantine at the animal shelter.
Police issued three summons in this case including one for not having the dog up-to-date on its rabies vaccine and not having a county dog license.
The investigation into the incident continues, Caroon said.
William Lowrey, with Gracie's Guardians, issued the following statement in reaction to today's situation.
"It's important to remember that dog bites are often complex events caused by a variety of factors, many of which are unrelated to the actual dog itself. While most dogs never display any aggression towards people, any type of dog is capable of biting. The single most important factor to preventing dog bites is responsible ownership which includes proper control and restraint of the dog and events like those of today can serve as an important, yet unfortunate, reminder of this."
Sublett struggles to understand how he could bite anyone. Sublett says she feels terrible about what's happened and for the children involved.
"I wish I could do something about it, but as long as the kids are ok I'm not worried about anything else," said Sublett.
Williams is grateful they are. "Could have been a lot worse and I'm very thankful it wasn't," he said.
