Local

Men charged in connection with dog attack in pet store

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Two Forsyth County men are under arrest for allegedly threatening customers after a pit bull belonging to one of them bit a child inside a pet store.

It happened at a Gainesville PetSmart last weekend. Police said Darin Dyer pointed a gun at a customer in the parking lot as he and dog owner Craig Wooke were leaving in Wooke's truck. Witnesses said the two men raced out of the door after the dog bit the face of 6-year-old David Lane.

"Wooke, the dog owner, has been charged with being a party to a crime. Dyer has been charged with aggravated assault in connection with the incident with the handgun," said Gainesville Police Cpl. Kevin Holbrook.

Holbrook said the two men were arrested without incident on Friday. A store customer told Channel 2's Tom Regan that after witnessing the dog attack the boy, he tried to keep the men from leaving the scene by standing in front of their truck.

"They were entering their vehicle. The passenger pointed a gun through the windshield at me and told me to get out of the way. The driver actually tried to run me down in the parking lot to get away," said James Weber.

Mishelle Lane is the mother of the boy who was injured. She told Regan doctors removed the nine stitches from her son's face and that he is improving.

"I think I'm more traumatized than he was to having witnessed that. It is very traumatic for a mother. He's OK right now. Hopefully, there won't be any lasting effects," said Lane.

Lane thanked the customer for taking down the license plate of the dog's owner, which aided in the arrests.

"I'm relieved they caught them. He should have stuck around in the beginning, because as pet owners we should be responsible for our pets," said Lane.

The dog that bit the child is in quarantine at the Hall County Animal Shelter while authorities continue their investigation. Police said the dog's owner could face additional charges or citations related to the attack.