Florida: Four-year-old recovering from pit bull attack, authorities are looking for dog

Update: This was all a lie. The little boy's mother's boyfriend, Benjamin Brown, was willing to make child endure a series of rabies shots in order to protect the pit bull which had attacked him. Brown was criminally charged for this.


FLORIDA -- A four-year-old boy is in the hospital Friday night recovering from hours of surgery required after a pit bull attack.

The incident happened Thursday night in Panama City Beach.

Avery has bite marks and gashes all over his body, but his father, Cody said he's a tough kid who didn't even start crying until he got to the hospital.

 

 

 

 

Now that Avery's out of surgery and beginning to heal, Cody just wants to locate the dog that attacked his son.

"Oh it was horrifying. I couldn't do anything but jump on my bike and get here as soon as I could," said Cody Farmer.

Bay County Sheriff's Deputies said Avery and his mother's boyfriend were leaving a yard sale on Allison Avenue in Panama City Beach Thursday evening when a pit bull approached the four-year-old and attacked.

"His stepfather was there, thank God, pulled the dog off," said Farmer.

The family took Avery to Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center where he underwent surgery.

"All the tissue inside all his cuts were still alive so they were able to just pretty much cut just a little bit then just sew him back together," said Farmer.

Cody is happy his son is recovering well, but fears Avery has even more pain ahead if authorities can't find the dog.

"He's going to have to go through 12 rabies shots. One a day and, you know, they're all over," said Farmer.

 

Photo of Avery, before the pit bull attack

Bay County Animal Control is aware of the attack and is searching for the dog with help from the community.

"I have a lot of friends and family that are out looking right now. I drove around myself for a couple hours around the neighborhood. I haven't been able to spot the dog. Our biggest fear is that somebody has the dog inside somewhere," said Farmer.

If that is the case, this father is asking for help.

"I would love for that dog owner to come forward, you know, so we can, at bare minimum, test the dog and find out if it has rabies and then we would have to go from there because I don't think a dog should be attacking anybody, let alone a little four-year-old kid," said Farmer.

 

The police incident report says the dog was described as a very large, black Pit Bull mix. If you have any information about this dog you are asked to call Bay County Animal Control at 767-3333.

As for Avery, he will be in the hospital for a few more days, but he doesn't have to go through anymore surgeries. His father says they will start the rabies shots Saturday if the dog is not found.

(MyPanhandle - May 27, 2016)