The babysitter said the family's pit-bull grabbed a hold of the child's throat after biting his face, even knocking out a few teeth.
The child, we're told, had to undergo surgery earlier. The babysitter said the dog bit her foot during the scuffle as she tried to save the little boy from the dog's strong grip.
She didn't want us to reveal her identity, but shared with us the terrifying moments.
"When I ripped the dog's mouth off of my Godson's throat, the dog then turned on me and attacked my foot," said the babysitter.
The whole thing happened in a matter of seconds in the backyard - the babysitter said she and the other children at the home quickly reacted and was able to save the boy's life.
"When I got up to him, all I saw was a gash on his cheek, three of his teeth missing and the dog just had his throat," she said.
"Police were here in 2 seconds flat, I've never seen anything like that before in my life. As soon as she called 911, ambulance was here, the fire trucks were here, everybody was here and they rushed him straight to the hospital," she said.
The boy's mother is now by his side at VCU Medical Center. The neighborhood, on Pin Oak Court is peaceful again - and Oreo, the dog, is now in the hands of Animal Control.
Neighbor Nikki Hagen shared pictures of Oreo when he was a puppy.
"I was heartbroken, because the dog is very sweet, I just couldn't see the dog doing that," said Hagen.
She hopes the attack doesn't count against other pit-bulls or the owners.
"I sure hope not, because they're good people and they're good dog owners and that dog had a great personality," said Hagen.
The mother informed NBC12 her son is going to be ok. The other children were not hurt in the attack.
(WWBT - May 11, 2013)
