Klamath Falls, Ore. – It’s been nearly a year since a 10-year-old girl was attacked by dogs at a home in Klamath Falls.
Darryn Stevens said his daughter Alyssa almost didn’t survive the attack. “First two weeks, she was in an induced coma – then it was really touch-and-go for a while there.”
Alyssa Stevens was attacked on June 1st of 2017 when she entered the backyard of a home on Shasta Way.
The four mastiff dogs that attacked her were later euthanized.
Alyssa is still being treated for her injuries.
“Alyssa’s had close to 75, almost 80 procedures in that year span,” Darryn Stevens said.
Alyssa lost most all of her scalp in the attack.
Stevens said he and Alyssa’s mother are pleased with her progress. “We are real close to having a good cover for her head. Have a few wounds left to deal with, but for the most part, we’re winning the battle.”
The dog’s owner had argued that Alyssa was trespassing.
Darryn Stevens showed texts that the owner had asked Alyssa to care for the dogs.
The Klamath County Commissioners eventually ruled that the dogs should be put down.
Darryn Stevens says he has high praise for the doctors and nurses, police and emergency responders, and the support of his co-workers at Oregon Tech.
But, Stevens said he’d like to see some of the laws reviewed to be more victim-friendly. “I think some of the verbiage, on what they call a ‘dog bite’ needs to be changed. I don’t know how you can say what happened to Alyssa can be considered a ‘dog bite’.”
While the dog owner initially stated he would file a lawsuit against Klamath County, no legal claims have been filed.
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