Meanwhile, the two-year-old female pit bull cross remains in the care of Calgary Animal and Bylaw Services for a 10-day quarantine period. The dog’s fate is still unknown.
Family said Tyler LeClaire, 7, was at his sister’s boyfriend’s house on Saturday when he was mauled by the boyfriend’s dog.
“He was playing a game, sitting on the floor. He looked up and the dog was on his face,” said his aunt, Tanya Batycki. “His cheek was ripped off.”
Tyler was taken to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary where he underwent a four-hour surgery, Batycki said.
“He’s doing good right now. The skin is starting to take. Things are turning around for him,” she said.
“The blood flow is going back to his face. He just has to have lots of things to keep his hands busy so he doesn’t itch. He’s very strong.”
He’s also buoyed by well wishes from the Calgary Flames, she said.
Members of Cochrane Municipal Enforcement were called by RCMP to the home at about 1 p.m. to respond to a serious dog bite. They seized the dog, which was handed over willingly by the owner, said Sgt. Charlene Ruttle.
Ruttle said charges are pending against the owner and the investigation is ongoing.
Cochrane Municipal Enforcement has no record of the dog attacking in the past, but is looking into the dog’s history.
Batycki said she heard the dog had previously bitten his owner, and the wound required stitches.
But she doesn’t know exactly what caused the dog to snap on Saturday, adding Tyler was playing with the animal three days before the attack and everything was fine.
“I don’t think this dog should be put back into the public,” she said.
The owner of the pit bull cross is “devastated” by the incident.
“He’s a human being and he’s young. He’s a mess,” she said. adding he’s gone to visit Tyler twice in hospital.
(Calgary Herald - Jan 18, 2013)
