11-year-old Miles Graham was walking to Provost Elementary School on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 when he was attacked by a German shepherd. According to The Daily Herald, the boy walked past a home near 1100 E. 800 South where the dog was kept behind a privacy fence. Police report that the dog jumped over the fence and began biting Miles. Miles punched and kicked the dog and began screaming but the dog continued to attack. Juan Riboldi was passing in his car, jumped out and scared the dog away. Riboldi put the boy in his car and drove him home.
Angela reports that when she first saw her son his jeans were shredded and had some significant bite wounds. Miles was traumatized from the attack and stayed home from school to recover. He had to go to the emergency room to receive stitches to close the wounds.
Angela is grateful to Mr. Riboldi for his kindness and compassion. “The dog was not going to stop,” Riboldi said. “I was glad to have passed the boy when the attack happened.”
The dog owner has been cited and the dog is being quarantined for 10 days after which a judge will decide what to do with the animal. Mrs. Miles said she has owned dogs her whole life, and said they should not be treated like children. They are still animals, and owners need to be responsible for their pets. She wants the dog to either be euthanized or kept in a secluded area so this type of incident will not happen to another child.
I wish Miles the best as he recovers from the emotional and physical trauma from an Provo dog bite of this severity. Under Utah state law, a dog owner is held strictly liable for the harm his or her dog causes. I recommend that the Graham family contact an experienced Utah dog bite attorney who can help them sort through this difficult situation.