Woman says she was attacked by dog and no emergency personnel followed up

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis woman wants answers after a dog bit her in August by her home on Indy's West side.

Shelli Givens was transported to the hospital for her injuries, but nearly 6-months later she says she still hasn't received any help.

"I was bitten bad enough that I had to be taken by ambulance, you would think police or animal control would have followed up," Givens said.

She reached out to WRTV for help.

Givens said she loves dogs, especially her canine best fried Miles.

"Thank god for my dog I am telling you, because I don't know what would have happened," Givens said.

Givens said Miles saved her life on August 31st.

"I didn't even know he was capable of doing anything like he did, but he did," she said.

Givens said she was walking Miles, just as she did every day in her neighborhood near S. Lynhurst Drive and Rockville Road when a pitbull cleared a fence and came toward them.

"Before I knew it like he just dashed over to me and just clamped down on my leg," she said. "He was dragging me down the road basically. Everything I had in my pockets in my hands was all the way down the road. I have never felt that kind of power, it was crazy. It was very unprovoked."

She said the dog jumped a fence leaving her with wounds and what seems like non-stop medical bills.

WARNING: The photos below contain graphic content and may be disturbing to some viewers.

"I feel like my hospital bills should be paid. My ambulance bills that are coming every other day," Givens said.

She says it took a month for animal control to take a report, that no one can to her hospital room like she was told would happen.

"I thought that a police officer or animal control would come take a report so they could come get the dog," she said. "I never heard a word from it, ever."

Givens said she called animal control and heard nothing, same from IMPD.

IMPD told WRTV it was a animal control case and couldn't provide any information.

Animal control said they couldn't comment.

Givens doesn't know anything about a possible pending court case.

"I just can't believe they didn't follow up on it," she said.

Givens said regularly on her walks she would see the dog on the front porch of a home. Sometimes in a cage, other times on a lead staked into the ground.

Since the alleged attack, Givens said she hasn't seen the dog.

WRTV went to the home Givens said the dog lived.

The owner didn't answer, but WRTV reached him by phone.

The owner, we're not naming because he hasn't not been charged, refuted the claim the dog was in his yard.

He said the dog was between his yard and the neighbors.

He did remember the alleged attack and said, "The pitbull and her dog started tussling and she got in the middle of it and I guess she got bit in the process."

He also claimed the dog isn't his, "He's just a neighborhood dog like everybody knows him. He's a friendly pitbull."

The man told WRTV he doesn't know where the dog is now.

Thought he man claims the dog isn't his Givens said he knew the dogs health record and that he had his rabies shot.

"He said we're probably going to put it down because it's done this before," Given said.

The man refutes that, "I never heard of the dog biting anybody, no."

Though the man said the dog, named Mike, wasn't his he texted Givens that he was one of the dogs owners and asked who could come pick him up.

In a later text he said the dog was his girlfriends.

As for the dog lead on his front porch he tells WRTV, "It's been there."

Other neighbors in the area told WRTV the dog was seen on the front porch of his home regularly.

If you are bitten by a dog, the Cleveland clinic says:

• Wash your wound
• Slow the bleeding with a clean cloth
• Ally an over-the-counter antibiotic cream
• Wrap the wound in a sterile bandage
• See your doctor
• If the bite is sever, consider going to the emergency room right away
  

Animal Care Services (ACS) of Indianapolis says, they "Follow standard procedure and standard procedure is to reach out to the victim to take their report. We do attempt multiple forms of contact with the victim. We do also make multiple attempts to reach the owner of the attacking animal."
They add if a report is filed, but the attacking animals no owner there are no citations that can be issued.

If there is an owner, ACS says they can receive citations related to the attack.

ACS also says if the owner's animal attacks they can receive fines, and potentially be ordered to forfeit the animal, or have the animal destroyed.