WISCONSIN -- A 15-month-old boy was transported to the hospital Wednesday night after a pit bull attacked him.
Caledonia Police responded to the 3400 block of Ivy Lane for an animal bite around 9:45 p.m. There, police found the young boy with severe facial tears, puncture wounds and missing teeth.
At the time of the attack, the toddler was reportedly sitting on the kitchen floor eating a cookie, according to Caledonia Police, and it appeared the pit bull bit the child in an effort to retrieve the cookie from the child’s mouth.
Following the incident, the owner said the dog, named Mary Jane, is known for being aggressive towards small children, according to police.
The dog had one prior animal bite report on file from 2009 when she bit someone on the hand, requiring stitches, police said.
[Another story says "According to police, the same dog attacked one of the owners in 2009 requiring stitches to Jacqueline Ziminski. Neighbors also complain of other incidents in which Mary Jane reportedly bit a residents arm and another boy in the neighborhood."]
After rescue arrived, the child was transported to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
Sgt. Gary Larsen of the Caledonia Police Department said Thursday afternoon the child was in stable condition and was scheduled to go into surgery in the afternoon.
The owner is not facing any criminal charges at this time, police said, but the investigation is ongoing. The attack occurred in the home of the dog owner and the child’s mother, according to police.
Officers seized the dog and turned her over to the Wisconsin Humane Society in Racine and the owner expressed a desire to have the dog euthanized.
Prior to any possible euthanasia, however, the dog will be quarantined for at least 10 days so that a veterinarian can observe the animal for signs of rabies, according to Jennifer Johnson, registered sanitarian with the Central Racine County Health Department.
The owner of the animal is responsible for all expenses incurred in connection with the rabies quarantine, according to the health department.
(Journal Times - June 6, 2013)
