Contributed photo Haiden Prevatte, 6, was attacked by two dogs after getting off at her bus stop Wednesday afternoon. She is expected to recover from her injuries within the three or four days. -

ROCKINGHAM — A good Samaritan saved a young girl from a potentially deadly dog attack Wednesday.

Haiden Prevatte, 6, had just gotten dropped off by the school bus on Billy Covington Road when two dogs attacked her. David Covington, 72, a volunteer fireman and board member with the Northside Volunteer Fire Department, was stopped behind the bus and sprung into action.

Covington got out of his car and grabbed what he called a “perfectly shaped” stick out of a nearby ditch and began yelling at the dogs and beating them with the stick to try to scare them away, one of them briefly turning to attack him. He eventually scared the dogs off, all while the school bus was still stopped and other bystanders had gathered.

“Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time,” said Covington, who has been involved with the fire department for over 40 years. “You just jump out and do what you’ve got to do.”

Covington, and other bystanders including the bus driver, stayed with Haiden until authorities arrived, according to her mother, Candas Prevatte.

Haiden was airlifted to a hospital in Chapel Hill Wednesday afternoon where she was treated for 21 puncture wounds — one of which punctured her right lung — two broken ribs and three gashes in her head, which required staples, according to Prevatte. In all, Haiden had over 20 stitches and is breathing with the help of a chest tube. Her mother said the doctors will likely release her within three or four days.

Prevatte said the bus got to the stop early and she only saw the aftermath of the attack. She said if it weren’t for Covington stepping in, Haiden might not be alive.

“She’s doing OK,” Prevatte said Thursday. “My respects go to that gentleman that saved my daughter’s life.”

The dogs belong to Mary Wilson, according to Chief Deputy Mark Gulledge. Wilson was given three citations under the Richmond County Animal Enforcement Ordinance following the attack: two for leaving the dogs “at large” off of her property and without the control of a competent person and one for failing to have one of the dogs vaccinated for rabies.

Gulledge confirmed Thursday that Animal Control had received two calls about the dogs in the same area before lunch time Wednesday, but both times when deputies went out to the area, they were unable to locate the dogs. Prevatte said Wilson, who she does not know personally, lives right next to the bus stop and her neighbors have called police multiple times about the dogs being aggressive. Prevatte herself said she has only seen the dogs out on one other occasion.

The Daily Journal on Thursday could not independently verify that multiple calls had been made about the dogs prior to Wednesday’s attack, other than the two that occurred earlier in the day.

The dogs are currently being held at the Richmond County Animal Shelter. The incident report states that the dogs were both pit bulls, one male and one female. Gulledge said deputies are in the process of deeming the dogs as dangerous and will follow county policy on the supervision of the dogs going forward.

A potentially dangerous dog is defined as “any dog, when not on the owner’s real property, that has killed or inflicted severe injury upon a domestic animal … any dog, when not on the owner’s real property, that has approached a person in a vicious or terrorizing manner in an apparent attitude of attack … any dog that has been deemed potentially dangerous in another county or state.”

If the animal is determined to be dangerous, the owner will have up to three weeks to construct a secure dog lot and have it approved by the Richmond County sheriff or his designee. The dangerous animal will only be released to the owner when the owner has complied with the requirements of securing them.

If the owner fails to comply with these requirements within 30 days, the animal will be killed unless the owner files an appeal, according to Section 15(E)(iv) of the county ordnance.

Contributed photo Haiden Prevatte, 6, was attacked by two dogs after getting off at her bus stop Wednesday afternoon. She is expected to recover from her injuries within the three or four days. https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Haiden-3.jpg Contributed photo Haiden Prevatte, 6, was attacked by two dogs after getting off at her bus stop Wednesday afternoon. She is expected to recover from her injuries within the three or four days.

By Gavin Stone Staff Writer

Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674 or [email protected]

Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674 or [email protected]