by KYW's Brad Segall
A Plymouth Meeting, Pa. man will stand trial in Montgomery County on charges that he knowingly allowed his German shepherd to roam free on his property despite the dog’s history of biting.
An attack last month severely injured a five-year-old Conshohocken girl (above), who has severe neck injuries and may never be able to speak normally again.
The charges against Gary McKeown (right) include reckless endangerment and violating dog safety regulations.
McKeown, who operates Maple Acres Farm on Narcissa Road, waived his preliminary hearing. The 11-year-old dog had bitten three other people since 2000 and was required to be muzzled and attended when it was out in public.
Prosecutor Abby Silverman says they plan to aggressively prosecute the case:
"This girl has permanent damage now to her voice box -- she spent 23 days in Children’s Hospital after the incident. I mean, it’s a very severe case. It was incredibly reckless for this dog to be allowed around children.”
Police say the Conshohocken girl and her mom were shopping at the farm, and she went to pet the dog as they were leaving.
The dog has been put down since the attack.
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