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Owner claims she warned victim about dogs

 

SUNNY VIEW—On August 26, Hunter Bishop, a 12-year-old Polk County Middle School student, was attacked by a pack of dogs along Grassy Knob Rd. while riding his bicycle to a friend’s house.

Cynthia Edgerton, the owner of the dogs and one of the two people who initially pulled the dogs off of Bishop, will not be facing charges, according to officials.

On August 31, Rutherford County District Attorney Ted Bell announced that his office would not be filing criminal charges against Edgerton because the dogs have not been previously deemed dangerous.

Edgerton claims that Bishop regularly rides his bike up and down the road taunting the dogs, throwing apples at them and yelling at them, adding that she has warned him about approaching her dogs.

“I hate it happened to the little boy, but I warned him,” said Edgerton. “I warned him you cannot ride up and down this road picking at my dogs, they’re going to make you fall off the bike and they’re going to attack you.”

Three dogs were picked up at the scene of the attack and placed into quarantine and Edgerton surrendered four other dogs at the request of Rutherford County Animal Control officers. She took her remaining nine dogs to the vet to ensure they are up to date on all vaccinations, also at the request of animal control officers.

No criminal charges could mean the potential return of Edgerton’s seized dogs.