Ga. mom killed, child injured in dog attack at school bus stop
QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) - A woman was killed after dogs attacked her while she waited at a school bus stop with her children on Thursday.
According to the family, 35-year-old Courtney Williams was mauled to death in Quitman. Three children were at the bus stop at the time of the incident, and one child was injured by the dogs.
A good Samaritan drove up, fought off the dogs and took the children to the hospital.
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Young Bennett is currently at the Augusta burn center receiving care for third-degree burns that cover 90% of his body, according to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of his family.
A family member said they are extremely grateful for the actions of the good Samaritan, who took action when the dogs were going after the children. The family said things may have been much worse if not for his actions.
Brooks County Schools Police went to the emergency room when they heard the dispatch call of a child being attacked by dogs after getting off at the school bus stop.
“The incidents didn’t occur within our jurisdiction, but because the child is one of our students, they are therefore our family. We took it hard across the district from the superintendent down. You take something like that hard especially when you find out the other details,” Brooks County Schools Police Chief Casey Cope said.
According to WALB, 13 dogs were involved in the attacks. Thomasville Humane Society has since secured 11 of the dogs.
“A woman lost her life, and two children’s lives will forever be changed by this. We have really got a long way to go in animal services. We have to understand how and why dogs act like this from an owner and community standpoint. It’s all about ability,” said Chandler Giddes, director of Thomasville Humane Society.
Giddes said there are at least three more dogs that must be removed from the property.
Sharon Waters, a nearby resident, said that the issues of stray dogs and overpopulation have been an ongoing issue for years.
“I have been to the commissioners before with the sheriff standing beside me, pleading for us to get some kind of control,” she said.
The Brooks County Board of Commissioners said it is “deeply saddened” by what happened.
“The well-being of Brooks County citizens is of the utmost importance to Brooks County. Brooks County continues to pray for the victims of this tragic incident,” the board said in a statement.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an autopsy to determine the official cause of death, as the case is still active and ongoing.
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