A Kentucky woman says a Facebook Marketplace pickup turned into an emergency room visit after multiple dogs attacked her on private property.
Annie Pelfrey told WYMT she was trying to pick up an item she found online when the attack happened Monday evening in Laurel County.
Pelfrey said the incident happened off State Road 1769 in London. She told the station she loves dogs and had never been afraid of them before.
Buying something from a stranger’s home can bring a visitor through a gate, fence, driveway, porch, garage, or yard where dogs may be loose before anyone realizes there is a problem.
She Said Three Dogs Went After Her Arm
Pelfrey said the attack escalated too quickly for her to react.
She told WYMT that one dog latched onto her arm before two others joined in. Her husband took her to the emergency room that night, where her wounds were treated.
Pelfrey said she bled through two bandages and was on her third by the time she spoke with the station.
Police Declined To Comment on the Case
Pelfrey said London police officers told her at the hospital that the homeowner could not be charged because the attack happened inside the fence. She said she was told the case would be a civil matter.
The London Police Department declined to comment to WYMT. Pelfrey also said she had not heard back from the homeowner after the attack.
Kentucky Law Adds a Civil Liability Question
Kentucky law says any owner whose dog is found to have caused damage to a person, livestock, or other property is responsible for that damage.
That statute does not decide what happened in Pelfrey’s case by itself. WYMT reported her account, the police department declined to comment, and no court ruling was reported in the story.
For homeowners with dogs, a planned pickup at the house should include a plan for the animals before the buyer arrives. Dogs should be secured away from gates, fences, porches, garages, and pickup areas where a visitor may be carrying an item, opening a latch, or walking into an unfamiliar yard.
Marketplace Pickups Need a Safer Meeting Plan
Facebook’s safety guidance recommends arranging in-person Marketplace meetings in a public, well-lit area when possible and letting someone else know where the meeting will happen.
When an item has to be picked up at a home, buyers should ask before arrival whether dogs will be secured. A closed fence does not tell a visitor whether the yard is safe to enter.
The CDC says people should not approach unfamiliar dogs, even if they seem friendly, and should report dog bites to local animal control or a police department. If a bite is deep, bleeding heavily, or involves an animal with unknown rabies vaccination status, medical care becomes urgent.