CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Seven children were injured after being bitten by a dog at a south Charlotte elementary school Monday afternoon.
The dog wandered onto the playground at Lansdowne Elementary School. That was when authorities say a teacher accidentally allowed the dog into in the building while trying to help the students get to safety.
Authorities say most of the children had bite marks on their legs. Now, some parents are upset the school never called an ambulance.
Christy Harner shared a photo of her son in the hospital after she took him for medical treatment after the incident.
“He got bit on the leg and has three puncture marks on his leg,” Harner said.
Now, Harner is questioning if school officials took it seriously enough after her son was bitten by a dog.
“They played it down a lot and so when I came to get him there was no medic,” Harner said.
NBC Charlotte has learned no ambulance was called after six other fifth graders were bitten by the same dog. The 10-month-old dog, believed to be a pit bull, wandered onto the playground and then got into the school.
“In the process of ushering the children through the door, the dog slipped through as well,” said Josh Fisher, with Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control.
Authorities say the dog’s owner from Fayetteville, North Carolina was visiting Charlotte when the animal got away.
“Before animal control arrived on the scene, the dog was already gone,” said Melissa Knicely with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control.
Authorities said the dog is current on rabies shots, which means they won’t have to have any post exposure to shots. However, Harner said she didn’t know the status of the dog while at the hospital.
“Had to give him rabies shots because there was no confirmation,” she said.
Legally, the dog is now required to be in a 10-day quarantine. Local authorities say they are working with Cumberland County on what will happen to the dog next.
They say the owner likely won’t face criminal charges but could be cited for violating a local leash law.
NBC Charlotte asked the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools why no ambulance was called, but did not get a response by the time the story aired.