Owner of dogs in deadly Quitman mauling won’t be held liable
Courtney Williams, 35, was killed and her son was seriously injured by neighbor’s dogs
QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) - WALB has received new information about the deadly dog attack that left a Brooks County mother of four dead and one of her children seriously injured.
Courtney Williams, 35, was brutally mauled by more than a dozen of her neighbors’ dogs, on Thursday, May 9, on Webster Street at a bus stop in Quitman.
WALB was told by officials that the dogs’ owner likely will not be held liable because of the way the local ordinance is written.
According to the Brooks County ordinance, a dangerous dog is defined as:
“Inflicts a severe injury on a human being without provocation on public or private property at any time; or Aggressively bites, attacks, or endangers the safety of humans without provocation after the dog has been classified as a potentially dangerous dog and after the owner has been notified of such classification.”
But none of the dogs that attacked Courtney Williams are breeds considered to be dangerous. None were involved in a previous attack, so they were not required to be restrained or behind a fence.
“We know that not everything was correct as far as ordinances or animal control resources and some of it may have played into why the situation occurred, but looking ahead, we cannot affect what happened but we can learn from it and study it.”
WALB spoke to National dog bite expert, Dr. James Crosby, who says dangerous behavior can result in any breed.
“None of the dogs in this case and I’ve met all of them,” Dr. James Crosby, a dog bite expert said. “None of the dogs have the characteristics that people would commonly call a pit bull. They do not have broad heads, they do not have big massive jaws, they do not have broad shoulders. They have none of the characteristics of a pit bull besides four legs and a tail.”
The dogs found to have attacked Courtney Williams will be euthanized.
“We understand the reality and we know there is a strong likelihood these dogs will never leave here alive,” Giddes said. “But we want to gain as much information and knowledge from this as we can so we don’t have to go through it again.”
Williams’s son who was seriously injured in the attack is now out of the hospital.
A family member told WALB he’s doing fine and resting at home.
The funeral for Williams will be on Saturday, May 18 in Douglas.
Previous Coverage
- New details on Brooks Co. woman attacked and killed by dogs
- UPDATE: GBI investigating death in Brooks County
- Kids injured in Brooks County dog attack, mother found dead
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