Child Recovers After Damaging Pit Bull Attack in Isanti County

MINNESOTA -- Sean Oldenburg doesn't like to slow down. That's why it was even more heartbreaking for his mom, Alyssa Oldenburg, to see her fearless 4-year-old hesitate when she asked him about his recent pit bull attack.

"I don't talk about Ralph," he finally told her, referring to the dog involved.

 

Alyssa says she was watching a family friend's pit bull when, out of nowhere, it attacked and bit Sean multiple times in the face.

"They said that the dog was about a centimeter away from hitting the optic nerve," Alyssa said.

"They're not really sure if he is going to have his vision or not in that right eye. We just kind of have to wait and see when he opens it."

On top of the physical scarring, the single mom worries about the emotional setbacks Sean may face as he works through what happened.

 

Isn't Ralph the pit bull supposed to be a nanny dog?

Alyssa says the dog has been quarantined while vets watch for signs of rabies. She has requested that the dog be put down when the investigation is over.

The Isanti County Attorney will soon determine whether to file charges against the dog's owner.
We reached out to the owner of the pit bull but haven't heard back yet.

Sean will have his stitches removed sometime next week. Since insurance won't cover everything involved in the recovery process, the family has created a page to accept donations.

(KSTP.com - Jan 26, 2015)