Owner of dog that killed Louisville toddler says animal ‘deserves to die’

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The owner of the dog that bit a 2-year-old child, resulting in his death, says his dog should die.

On May 2, 911 received a call about a 2-year-old who was being attacked by a dog in the 3800 block of Grand Avenue. That’s in the Chickasaw neighborhood.

The child, identified as Isaiah Geiling, was rushed to Norton Children’s Hospital where he died from his injuries just over an hour after the attack.

The attack was reported at the intersection of 38th Street and Grand Avenue around 12 p.m.... — The attack was reported at the intersection of 38th Street and Grand Avenue around 12 p.m. Thursday, according to MetroSafe. (Source: WAVE 3 News)

The dog’s owner spoke with WAVE 3 News on Wednesday, but didn’t want to be publicly identified. He is roommates with Geiling’s stepfather.

The dog’s name is King. His owner said King hasn’t done anything like this before and he isn’t sure what made the dog attack the child.

King’s owner says Geiling and the dog lived with each other for around four months and they’ve played well with each other in the past. He also said King wasn’t aggressive and he hadn’t bit the child before.

King's owner said he and the child had been living together for the last several months.

He says he loves King, but doesn’t want the dog back.

“I know it was an accident, but at the same time he did take a boy’s life accidentally,” he said. "But eye for an eye. A little boy died. He [King] deserves to die. As much as I love that dog I don’t want him back. He [King] did something. He [King} needs to pay for what he did.”

King is under a mandatory 10-day quarantine at Louisville Metro Animal Services. King is currently going through behavioral exams to determine his risk to the community.

Once the quarantine is up, the owner will go to court, where he could be charged with a misdemeanor, according to LMAS Lt. Adam Hamilton. Hamilton says anytime a dog bites someone, the owner could face charges.

Hamilton also says dog bites aren’t always provoked.

“There are no signs ahead of time,” Hamilton said. “It’s just the dog gets upset and bites somebody.”

Hamilton says young children should never be left alone in the presence of a dog.

Since the dog’s owner doesn’t want him back, LMPD will decide what happens to King.

Copyright 2019 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.