A Henry County woman charged after a dog attack that seriously injured a toddler is denying the allegation in court.
Court filings show 21-year-old Katie Lynn Murdock of Mount Pleasant entered a not guilty plea this week to a charge of having a vicious animal. The charge stems from a May 13 incident reported in the 600 block of North Broadway.
Investigators say a three-year-old girl was attacked by two dogs during an encounter involving a neighboring family. The child suffered severe injuries that reportedly required more than 70 stitches and were listed as level II trauma injuries. City officials have also requested both dogs involved in the incident be euthanized while they remain housed at area shelters.
Emergency responders were called to the scene shortly after 4:30 p.m. Officers arriving at the location found the child suffering from serious head injuries and immediately began providing aid before ambulance crews transported her for medical treatment.
The girl’s parents say she is still recovering from the traumatic attack and continues to deal with both emotional and physical injuries. They stated the child suffered extensive wounds, including injuries that exposed parts of her skull.
The parents also disagree with portions of the official citation. They say they were invited to the camper area to get a first aid kit after the dogs allegedly attacked their own dog the previous night. According to the family, the dogs were initially secured inside the camper before later being released, which is when the attack occurred.
A pretrial hearing in the case is set for June 5 in Henry County Court.
