Bond set for dog owner in accident; driver in stable condition

A man who hit a dog with a machete and hammer in McClellanville is an animal lover who was trying to end the dog's suffering after accidentally hitting it with his pickup, family members said Friday.

William T. Youngman, 57, of McClellanville suffered multiple skull fractures after being attacked by the dog's owner when the owner saw what was happening, said Youngman's son, Nathan Youngman, 31. "He felt it was in the dog's best interest to try to put it out of its misery," Nathan Youngman said of his dad.

Youngman's daughter, Holland Youngman 25, said her father lives in a rural area where there is no veterinarian nearby. He did not have a gun to dispatch the animal and end its pain. "He cannot stand suffering," his daughter said. "He's the victim here. We feel horrible about the dog," she said.

Youngman is in stable condition in the intensive care unit at the Medical University of South Carolina. Doctors have not given the family a prognosis for Youngman's recovery, but the family said Youngman is conscious, alert and able to talk about what happened Thursday morning. "Overall, he's still in pretty bad shape," Nathan Youngman told Charleston County Magistrate Linda Lombard.

On Friday morning, Lombard set bond at $25,000 for James Brian Kennedy, 42, also of McClellanville, who is charged with assault and battery with intent to kill in connection with the incident. The dog, Dingo, belongs to Kennedy, his family said.

"I think we've got some good people here with a lot of overreaction," Lombard said. As a condition of Kennedy's bond, he was barred from having any contact Youngman or his family. "Let everyone cool down and handle this intelligently," she said.

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.