ILLINOIS -- A Roselle kindergartner who was attacked by a pit bull mix was resting at home Wednesday after undergoing plastic surgery to repair wounds in the back of his head, his father said.
Anthony Duffy Jr. was getting off the school bus in front of his home in the 700 block of Autumn Drive about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday when the dog, which was twice his size, knocked him to the ground, said his father, Anthony.
The dog bit the boy in the head, leaving 4-inch and 6-inch wounds, before a contractor working on a nearby home rushed over and helped the boy's mother pull the dog away, Duffy said.
"He ran across shouting and basically got the dog off him for enough time that my wife could get him in the house," Duffy said. "It was pretty traumatic."
Anthony Jr. underwent surgery in Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village Tuesday night and was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, his father said.
"He's gonna be OK," Duffy said. "We're just really thankful that it wasn't worse."
The dog also bit the hand of a 56-year-old woman who was walking in the neighborhood, police said. The woman was treated and released from the same hospital.
The dog's owner, Jason Devincent, who lives on the same block, was cited for having a dog at-large and not licensing the dog. Devincent told police he had not realized his dog had escaped from a fenced yard.
The dog was turned over to DuPage County Animal Care & Control and euthanized Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Anthony Jr. is the youngest of five children, and the family does not have any pets, Duffy said.
"We were talking about maybe getting a puppy for his birthday, but I think we're going to put that on the back burner," he said.
(Chicago Tribune - October 28, 2004)
