Clearfield boy severely mauled by family's pit bull

UTAH -- A 5-year-old boy was severely mauled by his family’s pit bull Wednesday, officials said.

The boy was outside playing when he was attacked by the dog, said Clint Thacker, director of Davis County Animal Control & Services.

Emergency personnel were called to the residence at about 1100 S. State St. at 12:30 p.m., Thacker said.

A woman at the home looked out the window and saw something suspicious, Thacker said. When she ran outside the dog was standing over the boy.

“He received multiple lacerations to the stomach and to the side, to the point the intestines were coming out,” Thacker said.

The boy’s ear was almost torn off, his ribs were broken and he also had a bite over his eye, Thacker said.

The boy was flown by LifeFlight to Primary Children’s Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. Thacker said he was told the boy would recover, but would be staying at the hospital for the next week for observation.

The dog’s rabies shots were not up to date.

“We have had no prior histories with this dog,” Thacker said.

The family turned the dog over to officials and it has been euthanized, Thacker said. Tests will be done to see if it had rabies.

“We don’t know the circumstances as to why the dog attacked the child,” Thacker said.

Thacker said parents should teach children not to bother dogs when they are sleeping, eating or playing with their favorite toy because these could trigger an attack.

(Standard-Examiner - October 30, 2014)