OKEECHOBEE – An Okeechobee mother is speaking out about the dangers of aggressive dogs, following a mauling that left her daughter hospitalized.
On Nov. 2, Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Michael Cauley responded to Raulerson Hospital in reference to a dog bite victim. The 10-year-old victim had puncture wounds to her face, arms and body.
According to the OCSO report, the little girl was attacked by two dogs while visiting a neighbor’s house. The girl’s mother, Kimberly Boeckler, told the officer her daughter was playing with the neighbor’s children, as she often does after school. Around 7 p.m., Boeckler called her daughter to tell her it was time to come home, the report continues. While on the phone, she heard dogs growling and barking and children screaming. She and William Thompson drove to the neighbor’s house, where they found her child covered in blood. They loaded the girl into their vehicle and drove to the hospital.
The little girl was later transferred to St. Mary’s Hospital.
Cauley and Animal Control Officer David Joyner spoke to the dog owner who reported the little girl had been invited over and was looking at some puppies. The mother dog began to growl at the little girl, the dog owner told officers. The girl walked away and was going to leave.
“The mother dog escaped from its cage, rushed toward (the little girl) and began attacking her. At this time, the second dog ran towards (the little girl) and began attacking her.” Another juvenile was able to get the dogs off the little girl and put them up, the report continues.
The Boeckler family's attorney, Tammy Futris, said the sheriff's office report does not include information from the victim. She said the dogs were in the back yard, and Raegan was in the front yard when they attacked. She said the 10-year-old was headed home when the dogs came running from the back yard and mauled her.
The dog owner surrendered both dogs to animal control due to their aggressive behavior, the report states.
Kimberly Boeckler said her daughter suffered eight wounds and had undergone two surgeries.
Boeckler said she doesn’t blame the breed, but something has to be done. “I am a pit bull owner myself,” she said, noting that her own dog “has nursed kittens.” If large, powerful dogs are not socialized and trained properly, they can pose a danger to the community, she explained.
“I’m trying to use my daughter’s story to gain attention needed to make a change,” she said. “I want her story to start a movement.
“I would like to bring this situation to light,” Boeckler said. “Irresponsible dog owners and a large, aggressive breed makes for a bad mix.”
She said dog owners need to be more conscious of the potential dangers.
“I want to make sure my child isn’t walking in a neighborhood with loose dogs,” she said.
She said while the wounds are healing, her daughter will need more procedures to minimize the scaring. She’ll also need help to deal with the trauma. “Every time she closes her eyes, she thinks of dogs tearing her apart.”
“This was the third dog attack in three months in Country Hills Estates,” said Boeckler.
Boeckler said the other recent dog attacks in her neighborhood include a girl who was attacked while riding her horse, and another child who was attacked while riding a side-by-side vehicle.
“A large dog has the capacity to seriously hurt a small child,” said Boeckler. “I’m a dog owner. This is making me think differently. I want people to understand the danger, know the nature of your dogs.”
She said it is the responsibility of the owners to properly socialize, train and contain their dogs.
In addition to irresponsible dog owners, the Country Hills Estates area also has a problem with unwanted animals being dumped there. “People are coming through, dumping stray animals,” she said. “We get a lot of dogs.” She said the dogs become even more dangerous when they start to run in packs.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family. the page, headlined "Please help Raegan who was attacked by two pitbulls" states: “Raegan was mauled by our neighbors’ two pitbulls, in their front yard, while trying to ride her bike home from a play date. She has 8 bite wounds, 8 hematomas, and needs physical therapy for her arm. Her back was mauled, her private area was mauled, and she has bite wounds on her face. She is physically and emotionally traumatized. We need help. We can't do this without your help. I want to raise as much money as I can for her sake. It only took three days to completely drain my savings and put me in debt. I haven't even started to receive the bills for the hospital stay, let alone the surgeries and other future treatments. Just being able to stay by her side at the hospital she was transferred to and switch off with her dad means I need to find a hotel that I can no longer pay for. My truck also broke down and I do not have a vehicle right now. I need to uber to and from the hotel to the hospital. All of the daily living costs that I took for granted are now insurmountable. Raegan has a long journey ahead of her both physically and mentally. Thank you everyone for the overwhelming support.”
