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Pit bull euthanized; dad charged in mauling

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By Richard Wilson, Staff Writer Updated 10:40 PM Wednesday, July 15, 2009

HAMILTON — The pit bull responsible for mauling a 5-year-old girl has been euthanized, and the girl’s father and owner of the dog has been charged for not confining a vicious dog, authorities said Wednesday, July 15.

The pit bull named Monster was given a lethal injection Wednesday morning after owner Chris Tunstall, of the 400 block of Knightsbridge Drive, gave consent late Tuesday and signed over custody to the Animal Friends Humane Society located just outside Trenton, said Executive Director Meg Stephenson.

Although the pit bull had been properly confined, Stephenson said the law doesn’t allow for a vicious dog accidentally getting loose and Tunstall was still charged for failing to confine the dog.

Hamilton police do not plan to file any child endangering charges against the parents, said Hamilton police Sgt. Tom Kilgour.

In addition to the failure to confine charge — a misdemeanor which carries a maximum of six months in jail and $1,000 fine — Tunstall is charged with failing to obtain liability insurance, Kilgour said. He is scheduled to appear July 29 in Hamilton Municipal Court.

The girl suffered injuries Monday morning to her head, face, legs and arms and was flown to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She remains hospitalized but is doing well and is expected to be released in the next few days, said her mother, who described the attack as a horrible accident.

She said the dog had gotten loose and she was trying to put it back in its cage when her daughter, who doesn’t live at the residence, opened the back door. The dog started to attack by grabbing the girl’s foot, she said.

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