8/7/2019 1 - Boy-bite-The Dallas Morning News_ Document Display

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/1-boy-bite-the-dallas-morning-news-document-display 1/1

Dallas Morning News: Document Display

//nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=print&p_docid=0ED3DAB703EACDB3[4/30/2011 4:13:18 PM]

The Dallas Morning News

May 4, 1998 

Wylie boy, 4, hospitalized after cougar bites him Acquaintance was showing cat to visitors when bite occurred  

 Andy Kehoe Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News 

A 4-year-old Wylie boy was hospitalized Sunday after being bitten in the leg by the pet cougar of a famicquaintance, authorities said.he boy, whom police would not identify, was bitten around midnight Saturday in the 3400 block of Skyv

Drive, south of Lake Lavon.

e was treated at Garland Community Hospital for scratches and puncture wounds, then transferred tohildren's Medical Center in Dallas, where he was listed in fair condition late Sunday.

Robert Cartwright of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said he had spoken with the boy phone.

He was scared and appeared to still be kind of shaken up," Mr. Cartwright said. "But healthwise, he wa

ood shape."Mr. Cartwright will investigate the incident for the SPCA of Texas, which provides animal-control servicesollin County.

he incident occurred when the acquaintance, Vicky M arshall , took the boy and other visitors into herack yard to see her two cougars, said Jennifer Casey, an SPCA spokeswoman.

As to how he came into such close contact, that's what we need to find out," Ms. Casey said.

Ms. Marshall would not comment to The Dallas Morning News but told KDFW-TV (Channel 4) on Sundayight that neither the cougar, named Ranger, nor another that she owns had ever hurt anyone before.

he cougars were housed in a large outdoor cage. The one that bit the boy was taken Sunday to theGrapevine Animal Shelter, where it was expected to be quarantined for 45 days as a precaution to be su

didn't have rabies.

Mr. Cartwright said owning cougars is legal in Collin County if the owner has the proper permits.

The state used to regulate the keeping of exotic-type animals, and also the Texas Department of HealtMr. Cartwright said. "But they both dropped it and turned that over to the individual counties."

Ms. Marshall told Channel 4 that she had county permits.

One neighborhood youth seemed unfazed that he had cougars for neighbors.

I've been over there with my friends and played with them a couple of times before," said Clint Foster,It can get kind of rough sometimes but not enough to hurt anybody really bad. Just like when you getough with a dog."

Copyright © Dallas Morning News. All Rights Reserved.