Family dog attacks two children; Cop uses Taser to subdue bulldog

OHIO -- It’s back to “sea monkeys and ant farms” for the Fuentes family, who experienced a vicious attack when their dog of three months attacked two of its youngest family members.

The mother, Sandra Fuentes, said the family’s American Bulldog, Tyson, had never shown any signs of aggression till Sunday afternoon, when the dog first attacked 13-year-old Noah Pullon, and then his younger sister, Alison Fuentes.

“It was scary, he just changed,” Alison said. “It was not his normal self.”

Alison, 9, recounted the attack Tuesday morning after she we was released from Nationwide Children’s Hospital the day before. With bandages on both her arms following surgery, Alison said the attack started outside after Noah threw a snowball at one of his siblings.

“I was trying to get (the dog) off of (Noah) and my mom helped me, then he came after me,” she said. “Noah ran to the car dripping blood and I ran inside.”

Both siblings were admitted into Fairfield Medical Center and subsequently transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Noah was released Sunday.

“(Noah) had one bite mark that was maybe the size of a dime. He has stitches and a drainage tube.” Fuentes said, adding that the dog also tore through his muscle.

Allison sustained more severe injuries and wasn’t released until Monday afternoon.

“They had to operate on both of her arms. There were holes in her arm,” Sandra Fuentes said.

Neighbors in the 600 block of North Maple Street came over to help contain the dog. Fuentes called Lancaster police, and when officers arrived the dog was still being aggressive. According to police reports, an officer used a Taser on the dog after it charged him and attempted to bite his leg.

The Fairfield County Dog Warden was called in to take the dog, which is under a quarantine to ensure rabies wasn’t a factor.

“They’re putting him down (today),” Sandra Fuentes said.

The family purchased the dog from a family in Pleasantville that also had children but lacked space to care for the dog. Fuentes said she talked to the family after the attack and the former owners said that in the three years they owned him, they had never seen aggression from the dog and were sorry they had “re-homed him.”

Fuentes said the attack was also a surprise to her.

“He went with us everywhere and everything, and he just snapped,” Fuentes said. “I was hitting him in the head with a rock to get him to stop and it didn’t even phase him.”

Noah, a 7th-grade Bloom Carroll student, said he is afraid of large dogs as a result, but will miss the family pet.

“I’m going to kind of miss the dog, but he did hurt us,” he said.

Fairfield County Dog Warden Todd McCullough said when the dog was brought in to the Fairfield County Dog Shelter, it continued being aggressive and workers were unable to remove its leash.

“We’re back to a one-pet family, a hamster,” Alison said.

(Marion Star - Feb. 4, 2014)