A 7-month-old girl died after a dog attack in Columbus’ Far South Side neighborhood, police and fire officials said Wednesday.
As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus police and Franklin County Animal Control responded to the incident just before noon at a home in the 3700 block of South Champion Drive.
Columbus fire Battalion Chief Jeffery Geitter said a woman knocked on the door of fire station #22 on 3069 Parsons Ave. with the severely injured baby girl. The girl was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and was pronounced dead at 11:43 a.m., a police dispatcher said.
Family Won’t Face Charges Over the Child’s Death
Columbus police spokesman Sgt. James Fuqua called the incident a “tragic situation” and said the family will likely not face charges in the baby’s death.
“This is never to victim blame, but this is one of those moments where we want to continue to educate people to ensure…you’re doing everything possible to safely secure your pets from your young children and making sure they’re safe to be around your children,” Fuqua said.
A neighbor who spoke to the Dispatch said the people who live in the home had just moved there about a week ago. Property records show the home sold April 3 for $182,000.
Police placed one dog in the back of an animal control van while investigators tried to wrangle the second dog out of the home. They managed to secure the second dog by 1:15 p.m., according to a reporter at the scene. A third dog jumped into the van with no coaxing. It is not yet known which dog was involved in the attack.
Recent Dog Attacks in Ohio
According to statistics obtained by The Dispatch, across Ohio, each year, about 17,000 dog bites are reported to local health departments. Many more go unreported. An unknown subset of those bites are serious attacks that lead to disfigurement, amputations, psychological trauma and significant medical costs. Children are overrepresented in the attacks and fatalities.
On average, two to three fatal dog attacks are recorded in Ohio each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year, Ohio saw at least three. In July 2024,6-year-old Jaxson Dvorak died when his uncle’s dogs attacked him in Lorain. In October 2024, 73-year-old Jo Ann Echelbarger was killed by her neighbors’ pit bulls; in December 2024, Kingsley Wright, 3, died when her family dogs attacked her in Cincinnati.
In general, violations of Ohio’s dog laws are misdemeanors, and the fines start at $25. If there is a documented history of aggressive behavior on a dog that later kills someone, the owner could face felony charges.
