Man mauled defending daughter from dog

FLORIDA -- A father is calling for justice after claiming he was mauled by a local store owner's dog [identified in the video clip as a pit bull].

Wade Riley is thankful to be at home on the sofa spending this Mother's Day with his family and his daughter safe and sound.  Riley will be laid out on the couch for a couple days. 

"He got me pretty good, he latched there and he didn't let go," said Riley, pointing to where he was bitten.  

Riley is recovering from a severe animal attack. He was walking home from Dunkin Donuts, holding hands with his 5-year-old daughter, Ruby. Only a few houses away from home, Riley now regrets passing J&J Performance Auto Detailing.

According to the police report, obtained by Action News, the business's dog, known as Buddy, darted toward Riley and his daughter. That's when the father's parental instincts kicked in.

"As soon as I got a hold of the dog I said run. She came home and she didn't cry until she came through the door, I'm so proud of her," said Riley.

Riley's pants are now ruined, ripped from end to end and his left thigh holds 36 stitches. Riley hired a lawyer and now wants the dog's owner to pay his medical expenses.

Action News reached out to the business owner, James Pick, who didn't want to talk to us on camera. Pick says that the victim has been taunting the dog for weeks when he walks by the business. Riley denies the claim.

Although he thinks more should have been done to keep the dog restrained, Riley remains thankful that his daughter is on the couch and not in a hospital bed.

"That dog would have killed her," said Riley.  "If it did this to me and I'm a 225 pounds, then you can imagine what it would have done to her."

(ActionNewsJax - May 13, 2012)