Dog mauls soldier's 5-year-old son; investigation underway

The soldier’s dog who viciously bit a 5-year-old boy on Fort Polk, Louisiana, last month remains at large. Neither the base’s military police nor animal control have been able to find the animal since the May 22 attack.

That Sunday, Angela Herrington was walking outside with her young son and teenage daughter looking for their own dog who had gotten loose.

That’s when another dog — Herrington says a pit bull — appeared from behind a house fence and mauled her son Wyatt, ripping flesh from his arm.

Wyatt's older sister Christina managed to kick the dog off her brother.

“They were by a park, probably 20 feet from the fence,” Herrington told Army Times. “We have no history with the dog or the family, there was no threat to the dog.”

Fort Polk spokeswoman Kim Reischling confirmed the Army was investigating the incident, and that the dog in question was still missing.

“Fort Polk officials take this very seriously and are dedicated to the safety and well-being of everyone who lives and works on the installation,” she said.
The Army would not name the alleged dog owner, though Herrington says it is a female staff sergeant.

Through neighbors’ accounts who witnessed the attack, Herrington said the owner grabbed the dog and drove away with it. Authorities believe the dog to be off-post at this point, Reischling said.

Corvias Military Living, which manages Fort Polk neighborhood housing, has had a dog policy in effect since March 1, 2009. It specifies “pit bulls, American/Staffordshire bull terriers, rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, chows, wolf hybrids, and crosses of these breeds” are not allowed.

Herrington said her husband was frustrated that he couldn’t be there for his son.

Staff Sgt. James Herrington, is an infantryman with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He is currently deployed in Afghanistan on his sixth tour. He is due back to return from active duty sometime next week.

“My husband’s rear detachment has been very supportive,” said Herrington, a former staff sergeant and mother of five.

After receiving surgery more than two weeks ago, Herrington’s son has gotten his stitches out and has received several rabies shots.

“The dog is obviously dangerous,” Herrington said.

Herrington explained she had to give up their hound dog, Cayenne, after Wyatt developed a fear of dogs following the attack and started having nightmares.

“My teenage daughter is racked with guilt,” Herrington wrote to Army Times. “It’s so heartbreaking to deal with.”