Luca Romero’s mother, Allis Cho says the little boy was walking around the dogs on display at the Dallas Pets Alive adoption event.
Cho said she was told the dogs were friendly and that they were welcome to pet them. She said her son, who loves dogs and is used to playing with their German shepherd, pet several dogs, including the one that later attacked him. It had been friendly toward him at first.
But as Luca was walking back toward the leashed pit bull mix, the dog lunged at him and attacked. Cho said the dog pinned her son to the ground by sinking its teeth into his right arm and chest and wouldn't let go. Bystanders rushed in to help, she said.
Here's Luca with his family's German Shepherd. This
little boy knows how to behave around dogs
“The dog lunged out and grabbed him in the right arm and chest, pulled him to the ground and was like flailing him around,” Cho said.
"Four to five large men had to come in and literally pry the dog off of him," Cho said. "One of the guys was punching the dog and the dog wouldn't let go of him. It seemed like forever, but I'm sure it was just a minute or two."
Her husband, Alan Romero, was at the food trucks nearby when it all happened.
“I never got the names of the guys that helped out, but ‘wherever you are, thank you’,” said Romero.
The boy suffered puncture wounds and cuts in his chest and arm and was rushed to the hospital where he received numerous stitches.
His parents say he is still traumatized by what happened, but he is getting better.
Leslie Sans, executive director of Dallas Pets Alive, declined to comment on the specifics of the incident due to a pending investigation but said the rescue agency is reviewing what happened to prevent it from happening again. She said the volunteer-based organization screens all of its animals before bringing them to adoption events and before they are adopted out.
At the end of that time an expert will render a final recommendation on what should happen to Rusty.
However, Luca’s parents believe the dog needs to be euthanized.
“We just don’t want anyone else to get hurt, and if someone adopts this dog and gets hurt than whose fault is that,” said Cho.
"At this point, we don’t know if the dog will go back to the rescue," Ed Jamison director of Dallas Animal Services said. "They could surrender it or dispute a 'dangerous dog' finding. But we have until the middle of next week to finish the investigation."
Dallas Pets Alive, the rescue group that put the adoption event, is made up of volunteers who foster the animals.
A spokesperson for the group acknowledged the dog attack and said in a statement:
We are aware of the incident that happened over the weekend and have been working closely with authorities (a police report was filed and we are awaiting a copy of the report at this time) and the family involved so we can gain a full understanding of what took place. Our first priority is always the safety of potential adopters and children who attend our events.
All of our adoptable animals have been thoroughly vetted prior to attending adoption events or being adopted out. We are a volunteer-based organization and all of our rescue animals live with foster families across North Texas.
We are currently in the process of reviewing what happened and cannot share additional details until our investigation is complete. This was an isolated incident and we are reviewing all of the factors at play to prevent this from happening again.
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DPA’s Dog the Month – October: Meet Rusty!
by Susan Henrich | Oct 8, 2017 | Blog, Pet of the Month
He’s the color of a fall leaf. He’s a russet-colored Labrador Retriever/Pit Bull Terrier mix with a loving disposition looking for a fur-ever home this Autumn. Meet Rusty!
Whether you are making dinner, taking a walk in the leaves, working in the yard or curling up with popcorn and a movie on the sofa, Rusty will be there to be your comfort. He’s a cuddle-bug who enjoys putting his head in your lap or laying next to you.
Friendly and even-tempered, Rusty can also be a great companion to other dogs and hasn’t met a person he doesn’t like, including the mailman who has been trained to scratch Rusty behind the ears:) He’s been socialized to live with another dog and seems to be the perfect canine gentleman, knowing when to play and when not to. He even greets his foster mom with a cute happy howl when she comes through the door each day!
Rusty’s clever foster mom has taught him to stay in a crate, sleep on a dog bed, go potty outside, sit, heel, stay, wait for a command before doing his favorite activities and even shake hands — which he learned in a week! And she thinks he’s capable of a lot more! 🙂 He’s an intelligent dog with a lot of potential.
Are you looking for a lovable friend who will keep you company this fall? Rusty may be your dog! Apply to adopt him here. Plus, now through the end of the month his adoption fee is half off!
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