Delaware Councilman’s Daughter Mauled by Pit Bull

The eight year old daughter of a city councilman in Newark, Delaware was critically injured after being mauled their own pet pit bull on September 27, 2014. Emily Ruckle, daughter of councilman Todd Ruckle, was at their home in Newark with her fifteen year old sister when their pet pit bull attacked Emily, causing multiple dog bites, soft tissue damage, and severe bleeding.

Although the dog initially prevented the girls from leaving the room where the attack occurred, Emily’s older sister was able to carry her out of the room, to call 911, and to help treat her bleeding while the police arrived at the scene. The dog was still behaving dangerously and aggressively when the police arrived, causing the police to shoot and ultimately kill the dog. The attack occurred around 1 PM in the afternoon on that Saturday.

After the attack, Emily was first taken by paramedics to the A. I. Dupont Children’s Hospital and was subsequently airlifted to the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia and remained there to undergo extensive treatment for her injuries. She received numerous surgeries, including one to basically reattach her arm after the attack. The doctor treating Emily allegedly stated that it was the worst dog bite she had ever seen in her line of work.

It is still unclear as to why the dog became suddenly aggressive after being the family’s pet for years. The dog will be tested for numerous diseases, including rabies, as part of the investigation being conducted by the police in Newark and by the SPCA, who are now in possession of the dog’s body.

If you or someone you love has been bitten by a dog, you need to immediately seek medical care to treat any soft tissue damage, bleeding, or infection that may have occurred as a result of the attack. You should then notify the police to inform them of the location of the attack so that they can find the dog and its owner. And finally, get in touch with our offices so that you can have someone help you out as you file your claim against the owner for your injuries.