Dogs attack students and teachers on playground during recess, Missouri district says

Neighborhood dogs got onto a school playground during recess and attacked, injuring several students and teachers, according to a Missouri district.

The two dogs got onto Willard Intermediate School South’s campus in Springfield around noon Tuesday, Dec. 20, KY3 reported. As the dogs attacked, school police, animal control and paramedics responded to the scene.

Officials said 21 people were injured during the attack — 18 of whom were students, according to the Springfield News-Leader.

A school spokesperson told the newspaper not all the injuries were directly from the dogs, as some were hurt when students were trying to flee.

Injuries included bites, scratches and bruises from falling, KOLR reported.

Three students and three teachers had injuries that required medical attention, and they were taken to hospitals in an ambulance, according to the News-Leader.

Emergency responders assessed and treated injuries, the district said in a statement to McClatchy News, and parents of affected students were contacted.

Animal control found the dogs, and their owner gave them up voluntarily, a district spokesperson said.

The dogs were euthanized, KY3 reported. Officials said one dog was vaccinated prior to the attack, though the owners didn’t have proof of vaccination for the second dog.

Willard Intermediate South serves about 320 students in fifth and sixth grades, according to the school website.

The school playground is not fenced in, according to the News-Leader.

“When any situation occurs, we come together to discuss what happened, what we could have done differently, and what we can do in the future to prevent similar occurrences from happening,” a district spokesperson told McClatchy. “Those are the conversations we will be having in the days and weeks ahead.

“We are encouraging our neighbors to be cognizant of keeping their animals contained near all of our campuses as we continue to encourage outdoor play,” she continued. “We want to thank the Intermediate South staff who responded quickly to the situation, and other district staff who were on site quickly to provide assistance.”

This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Dogs attack students and teachers on playground during recess, Missouri district says."