KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) – A babysitter faces a child abuse charge after a 4-year-old nearly died after being attacked by two dogs, the King and Queen County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
Deputies were called to a home in the Walkerton area around 2 p.m. Dec. 13 for a call of a child being bitten by a dog.
“When deputies arrived, medics were already on the scene and treating the victim and transported the victim to the hospital,” the sheriff’s office said.
The victim – a 4-year-old boy – sustained “substantial lacerations and puncture wounds to most of his body,” the sheriff’s office said. The injuries were initially considered life-threatening.
“The child has recovered but remains hospitalized at this time,” the sheriff’s office said.
The homeowner and babysitter – Mary Lynn Sowards – was arrested Wednesday and charged with one felony count of child abuse and neglect. She remains out on bond and will be arraigned on Jan. 6.
“Additional charges are pending, and the case remains under investigation by the King and Queen County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division, Animal Control Division, and the King and Queen County Department of Social Services,” the sheriff’s office said on Friday.
The dogs – a German Shepherd and a Catahoula – were captured and taken to the regional animal shelter.
“Both dogs are expected to be processed for court action, deeming them dangerous dogs,” the sheriff’s office said.
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