A Columbia 3-year-old was attacked by dogs, now the mother wants the dogs put down
A 3-year-old was taken to the hospital on Valentine’s Day after being mauled by a Rottweiler that lived next door to the Columbia house the child’s family was moving into.
Now, the child’s mother, Chyanne Nipper, wants the dogs involved in the incident euthanized, and she’s looking for a new house for her and her three children, Nipper told reporters Friday, sitting beside her attorney Hemphill Pride.
On Feb. 14, 3-year-old Kaliyah Nipper was with her family as they moved their belongings into their new house when Kaliyah spotted a German Shepard that lived next door.
Pride said that the dog approached Kaliyah and she pet the dog, then a Rottweiler living at the same house attacked the child.
Pride said that the Rottweiler closed its jaw around Kaliyah’s head and dragged her by her hair over the property line that separated Nipper’s new residence and the owners of the dogs.
Kaliyah had injuries all over her body, including her arm and stomach, in addition to have her scalp torn open.
Pride said there was supposed to be an electric fence keeping the dogs within their owners’ property, but he said somehow, the fence did not hold the dogs. He speculated that the fence was either not working, or the dogs were not wearing the electric collars used to enforce the electric fence boundary.
The State has contacted the Columbia Police Department and Columbia Animal Control for more information. The State has also submitted a Freedom of Information request for documents related to the incident.
“This is an outrageous situation,” Pride said, adding that the Columbia Police Department responded to the scene, and later Columbia Animal Control also investigated.
Pride said the family is not pursuing any legal action against the dogs’ owners, but he said it was a failure of the Columbia government that the dogs have been allowed to remain with the owners.
Pride claims that animal control officers spoke to the owner of the dogs and determined that the attack happened on the dog owners’ property. Then animal control decided not to take the dogs and informed Chyanne Nipper that the dogs would not be euthanized.
Pride asserts that the attack began on Nipper’s property and that Kaliyah was dragged by her hair onto the property of the dog owner.
Pride also said the owner of the dogs seemed indifferent to the incident and that no one who lived at the property had come next door to check on Kaliyah since the incident occurred.
Kaliyah is now back at home recovering, but she stays inside and is now fearful of all dogs. Kaliyah lives with her mother and two older siblings, who are 13 and 17 years old. Chyanne said Kaliyah’s older siblings are also anxious for her safety with the dogs still living next door.
“They don’t even allow her to go out the door,” Chyanne told reporters.
Chyanne said she wants the dogs euthanized for the safety of future residents at the property, but she is looking for another place for her and her three children to live following the incident.
This story may be updated.
