An 11-year-old boy was hospitalized Friday morning after an escaped dog bit him at least 10 times in a Kensington Drive backyard in Spartanburg, according to a police incident report. Officers cited the dog's owner for running the animal at large, failing to vaccinate it against rabies, and failing to license it, while the dog itself was taken into custody for a mandatory quarantine.
Spartanburg Police Department officers were dispatched to the Kensington Drive home at approximately 10:42 a.m. on October 16 for a report of an animal bite, according to the incident report cited by FOX Carolina. The boy's mother had spotted a large dog dragging a long, heavy chain through her front yard earlier that morning and posted photos of it on social media in hopes of tracking down its owner, the report states.
Worried the loose dog could be struck by a car, she secured its chain to a tie-out runner in her own backyard. The 11-year-old and an 8-year-old neighbor, both out of school that day, went outside to play. Believing the dog was friendly because it hadn't barked or growled, the boy and his neighbor approached to pet it — and the dog attacked the boy repeatedly as he stroked its back, per the incident report.
Rushed to a Level I Trauma Center
The boy's father rushed him to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for treatment, the report says. He told investigators he had been bitten at least 10 times, sustaining multiple deep puncture wounds and lacerations to his left arm, knee, hand, and face near his cheek and eye. Spartanburg Medical Center, where he was treated, is one of only five Level I Trauma Centers in South Carolina, according to Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System — facilities built to handle exactly the kind of severe, multi-puncture penetrating injuries he suffered.
An animal services technician recognized the dog, identified as a 2-year-old named Tina, based on prior complaints already logged at the dog's home address, the incident report notes. Police took Tina into custody and transported her to the Spartanburg County Humane Society for quarantine, then located her owner at a home on South Lanford Road. The owner admitted the dog was unlicensed and had not received rabies or other standard vaccinations.
Why the Dog Must Be Quarantined, Not Vaccinated
State law forbids vaccinating a dog immediately after it bites someone, since doing so could mask early rabies symptoms. Under South Carolina Code § 47-5-100, any dog that bites or attacks a person must undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine at the owner's expense before it can be released or inoculated, according to South Carolina's Department of Public Health. The state's Rabies Control Act separately requires owners to keep pets continuously vaccinated starting at 12 to 16 weeks of age, with shots administered by a licensed veterinarian.
The owner was cited for the dog running at large, failing to have a current rabies vaccination, and failing to have an animal license. Spartanburg's municipal code requires all dogs and cats over four months old to carry a license, with annual fees of $6 for spayed or neutered animals versus $25 for unaltered pets, according to the City of Spartanburg. City ordinances also cap tethering at two hours within any 12-hour period, bar tying dogs to trees or fixed stakes, and require a moving cable-trolley system under constant adult supervision — rules directly at odds with the long, heavy chain described in the incident report.
Owner Faces Financial Liability Under State Law
Police told investigators that South Carolina law makes the owner financially responsible for the boy's medical expenses. Under South Carolina Code § 47-3-110, dog owners face strict liability for bite injuries in public places or when a victim is lawfully on private property, eliminating any need to prove the owner knew the dog had bitten before, per the South Carolina Legislature. Nationally, homeowners insurers paid out $1.86 billion across 28,450 dog bite and dog-related injury claims in 2025, averaging more than $65,000 per paid claim, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
The case echoes broader patterns researchers have found in severe dog attacks statewide. A CDC epidemiology study of severe dog attacks in South Carolina found that 62.5% of victims were 10 or younger and that 88% occurred in the owner's yard, home, or an adjoining yard. CDC data also show children aged 5 to 9 face the highest rate of emergency department visits among all age groups for dog bites nationally, out of roughly 337,000 to 368,000 such visits each year across the country.
Spartanburg County Animal Control dispatches officers during weekday business hours and relies on 911 dispatch for after-hours bites and vicious-animal calls, with county officers evaluating impounded animals at the Spartanburg Pet Resource Center, according to Spartanburg County Government. Police said they released no other details on the case.
