California Injury Blog
Breshan Coburn, 9, of Corvallis, Oregon, suffered punctures and bruises to his arms and . stomach after being attacked and bitten by a loose pit bull at Heartland Humane Society’s animal shelter in Corvallis, according to this article in the Gazette-Times. Breshan was reportedly at the shelter with his parents, Penny and Kevin Coburn, when he suffered the dog bite attack when a pit bull-heeler mix bolted from his kennel and attacked the boy.
Breshan’s parents found out that the pit bull got away because the kennel’s gate was inoperable. . It didn’t have a functional latching mechanism. Kevin Coburn, who managed to pull the dog off his son and drag it back to its kennel, found that the U-shaped latch was bent and could not be closed.
It is unfortunate that Breshan suffered such a traumatic dog attack in a place where he went to adopt a dog. The Heartland Humane Society and employees are responsible for keeping the animals secured and visitors safe.. The Humane Society’s officials knew the dog might pose a danger due to its known history. That knowledge imposed upon them a higher duty to protect visitors to the animal shelter.
I see no way for the Humane Society to escape financial responsibility for Breshan’s injuries.
The Coburn family would be well-advised to retain the services of a skilled personal injury and dog bite lawyer who is well-versed in dog attack and premises liability cases, as well as cases against governmental agencies. Many times, dog attack victims like Breshan are in need of extensive treatments, including costly plastic surgery to treat wounds and repair scars. An especially skilled personal injury lawyer will protect the family’s rights and secure appropriate compensation for the injuries and losses suffered.