Dog with biting history mauls Silverton girl, tearing through her leg and exposing bone

Olivia Heersink | Statesman Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption How to avoid dog bites Tips for avoiding and treating dog bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An afternoon spent playing in Silver Creek quickly turned into a nightmare for an 11-year-old Silverton girl when she was attacked by a dog.

Olivia Payne was standing near the water underneath the James Street Bridge with her three cousins around 3 p.m. Saturday when a dog described as a bull terrier mix approached the group.

Payne told her grandfather, Kelly Carroll, the dog ran straight at her, latching onto her left calf with its teeth before jerking her leg back-and-forth.

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Silverton Police Chief Jeff Fossholm said officers cited the dog's owner, Kimberly Ferrell of Silverton, for maintaining a dangerous dog, only to learn later the dog had previously attacked two people last year.

Marion County Dog Control Director Tamra Goettsch said the 3-year-old canine had attacked someone in May 2017, inflicting "fairly serious" injuries. A month later, the dog bit a cyclist while off-leash.

Goettsch said her agency was unable to locate the dog after the two incidents in 2017.

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Payne's family contacted animal control Monday when they learned the dog hadn't been picked up yet.

Goettsch said the dog — which was registered with the county as a service animal — arrived at their shelter Tuesday and will remain in quarantine until July 3, in case it develops evidence of rabies.

Following the attack, Silverton Police officers transported Payne to Legacy Silverton Medical Center, where she received 11 stitches.

Carroll said the dog's bite caused extensive damage to his granddaughter's leg, tearing through muscle tissue and exposing her bone.

"She's absolutely traumatized," Carroll said.

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The dog's future hasn't been decided, Goettsch said.

Since Ferrell was cited by police and not by animal control officials, a hearing is needed to determine whether the county is able to issue an infraction and ultimately decide the dog's fate.

If granted the citation, Goettsch said options include returning the dog to Ferrell with or without conditions, relocate it to a safe home or euthanize it after the quarantine period is up.

Contact reporter Olivia Heersink at oheersink@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6657 or follow her on Twitter @heersinkolivia.