Dog bites 7-year-old Tenafly boy and animal control officer

NEW JERSEY -- A dog bit a 7-year-old-boy in the face and later lunged at a Bergen County animal control officer and bit him in the arm and the leg, sending both victims to a local hospital, police said.

A second animal control officer was called to take the dog, a short-hair mixed breed named Jasper, to the Bergen County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, where it remained in quarantine Thursday night, according to police.

The child, who was playing at a neighbor’s house on North Browning Avenue, suffered what appeared to be a serious but non-life-threatening bite to his chin a little before 2 p.m., said Capt. John Trainor of the Tenafly police. The boy was taken to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center where his condition was unavailable Thursday evening, Trainor said.

The dog bit the boy as he played in a front room with a toy, Trainor said. He said the dog’s owner told police that Jasper may have believed the toy belonged to him. The family then placed Jasper in a room to wait for an animal control officer, according to police.

A Bergen County animal control officer opened the door slightly before a family member at the house, apparently trying to be helpful, opened it all the way, allowing Jasper to bite the officer before he could control him with a snare, Trainor said. The animal control officer, who was not identified, also was taken to Englewood Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Trainor said.

The officer’s condition was not available and the county animal control officer did not respond to messages seeking comment Thursday evening.

(NorthJersey.com - ‎Aug 14, 2014‎)