PENNSYLVANIA --A 7-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when a pit bull attacked him Wednesday in Penn Township, police said.
The mauling happened at about 5 p.m. outside Wendy Tshudy's home at 25 Parkside Drive, Manheim, Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Sgt. George Pappas said.
The boy is from the neighborhood, Pappas said. Tshudy owns the 3-year-old dog, which apparently ran out of her home to the boy.
"Neighbors heard a dog growling and the child screaming, 'He's trying to kill me!' " Pappas said. "That's when they went to help."
A man and an 11-year-old boy struggled with the dog, the sergeant said. They got the dog off of the boy momentarily, but it escaped from them and attacked the boy again.
A woman also helped by trying to pull the dog off the boy by its collar, Pappas said. It was unclear if the woman was Tshudy.
They eventually got the dog away from the boy and back in the house without anyone else being injured, Pappas said. The dog then attacked a door of the home, but couldn't get outside.
"The dog was very vicious, very violent," Pappas said. "It was a pretty bad attack."
The boy suffered serious injuries to his shoulder and ear and also was injured in his upper left arm, Pappas said. He was transported to Lancaster General Hospital for treatment and a short time later to Hershey Medical Center.
He underwent surgeries Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Pappas said. He is listed as being in serious condition, according to his father.
Police arrived at the scene of the attack as an ambulance was taking the boy to the hospital, the sergeant said. They called Critter Catcher of Lititz for help to control the dog.
Critter Catcher owner Mike Miller arrived and stood outside the home with Tshudy while dog was still inside, he said. Tshudy called the dog to the door, and Miller shot him with a tranquilizer dart.
They put the dog in a crate, and it was taken to the police station, Miller said.
"We were happy to get the dog out without anyone else getting hurt," Miller said. "It was an agitated, aggressive dog."
He said Tshudy told him that the dog had "never acted like this before."
A message on Tshudy's cellphone said she was not accepting calls Thursday.
Tshudy adopted the dog from the Humane League of Lancaster County on Feb. 11, according to Mary Wallick, director of marketing at the Humane League.
State Dog Law Officer Travis Hess was expected to take the dog back to the Humane League on Thursday, she said. There, it will be quarantined for 10 days before a decision is made about its fate.
The dog's original owner surrendered the dog to the Humane League five days before Tshudy adopted it, Wallick said.
It received a brief medical exam and vaccinations, and kennel technicians conducted a seven-step assessment test to determine if it could safely be put up for adoption.
The test involves assessing the dog's stare and sensitivity, as well as how the animal acts when it is excited and stimulated and squeezed in certain pressure areas, Wallick said.
Observing the dog's behavior around food, toys and another dog also is part of the test.
The dog passed the test, but there is never a 100 percent guarantee an animal won't hurt someone, Wallick said.
"Our hearts and sympathy go out to the boy and his family," Wallick said.
Pappas said Thursday that no charges had been filed in the incident and police are still investigating.
He offered a warning to would-be dog owners:
"You have to be careful what dog you get, especially around children," Pappas said. "You don't know the history of animals, and there may be some issues you are not aware of."
(Lancaster Online - April 5, 2012)
