Roswell boy recalls frightening dog attack

NEW MEXICO -- He was trampled and mangled by a pack of pit bulls. Now, the 9-year-old is home from the hospital with dozens of stitches all over his body.

Thursday, Colby Prince walked KRQE News 13 through the frightening attack that happened Wednesday morning.

“It hurts for me to try to walk and move,” said Colby.

The 9-year-old is tough. He just arrived back to his Roswell home from the hospital after being attacked and mangled by three pit bulls.

 

 “I was going down to water our horses like every morning,” said Colby, when he saw three pit bulls trying to get at the horses. “They start coming at me, I told them no, they stop for a little bit then they started coming at me, and started jumping on me,” he recalled. “And once they figured out that I can’t really protect myself, they started biting me.”

 

 

The dogs came from a nearby rescue that Colby’s family didn’t know was there. They ripped off his shirt, mangled his arms and legs, and pulled him to the ground as he tried to make it to the gate.

“They kept dragging me down and I just kept going toward it,” said Colby. “Once I finally got to the gate, one grabbed a hold of one boot and pulled, I just held onto the gate.”

Colby was outside for about 10 minutes when his neighbor finally noticed, tried to help, and called Colby’s parents.

“I saw my son perched up on a gate with dogs barking at him,” recalled Keisha Prince, Colby’s mom. “I ran towards my son, I was mama bear leaping over cactus.”

The boy’s dad, who is also a Roswell Police Detective, was right behind her, and shot two of the dogs to stop the attack.

“I was just so relieved to see my dad coming down with a gun,” Colby said.

The 9-year-old was flown to a Lubbock hospital. “All he could say was I hurt mama, I hurt,” recalled Colby’s mom.

Now, Colby said he’s sore. He has scratches all over his body and neck where he was dragged, and his scars aren’t yet healed, but he can still make the trek to his horses.

“I’ll be around our dogs, I just don’t trust other people’s dogs,” said Colby.

Two of the dogs involved in the attack died. The third dog is in quarantine and will be euthanized.
The animals are being tested for rabies to see if Colby has to undergo treatment.

Fifteen other dogs were also being housed at the rescue. Those dogs will soon be taken to a Colorado rescue.

(KRQE - June 15, 2014)

Earlier:

• 3 Pit Bulls Escape from Roswell, NM, Animal-Rescue Kennel, Attack 9-Year-Old Boy