15-month-old John Heller was playing with his mother at James Memorial Park in West Rockhill Township when the attack occurred. Jacque Heller tells NBC10 she saw the dog out of the corner of her eye but wasn’t worried since they were next to a dog park.
“Next thing we know he was on top of my son,” said Jacque while fighting back tears. “My fiancé kicked the dog off of him. And I just ran to the truck and he was bleeding. It was pretty bad.”
Jacque and her fiancé rushed John to Grandview Hospital in Sellersville where he received stitches and was released. He was admitted again last night however, after Jacque says his cuts became infected.
“He doesn’t sleep well,” said Jacque. “He wakes up screaming sometimes.”
To make matters worse, John must now undergo a series of rabies shots because officials can’t find the dog, described as a black lab mix weighing about 60 pounds. Pennridge Police believe it came from the nearby woods and pounced on the boy.
“You just don’t think of something like this happening at a park,” said Jacque.
The Pennridge Police Chief tells NBC10 they canvassed the neighborhood and questioned park goers. No one seems to recognize the dog however and it’s unclear if it is a stray or belongs to someone. The boy’s family says they just want the dog found.
“I just don’t want this happening to someone else,” said Jacque.
John is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow. His mother tells NBC10 he may need to undergo plastic surgery depending on how his bites heal. If you see the dog in question in or around James Memorial Park, please call police immediately.
(NBC10 - Sept 19, 2012)
