The child, whose identity was not released, was apparently playing with the canine in the back yard of his home on Pontiac Avenue around 7:40 a.m. when 2-year-old "Poncho'' bit the boy several times and tore away his left ear, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.
"It just broke my heart -- he's just a baby,'' said animal control Officer Tiffany Fuller. ``He'll be scarred for life.''
Fuller was one of two Animal Services officers called to the house to seize the dog. She said when she and her partner rolled up, neighbors were standing on the property, holding baseball bats for protection.
"They ... heard the attack and went out to help the boy,'' Fuller said.
According to county officials, the boy's mother was out of the house
shopping at the time, and his grandmother was supposed to be watching him, but evidently didn't notice when he got up from a nap and wandered into the backyard.
The tot's screams alerted the household.
He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment, according to Animal Services spokesman John Welsh, who said the child's mother surrendered Poncho to the county to be euthanized.
(The Desert Sun - Nov 5, 2014)
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