Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dog attacks toddler at park

CANADA -- A father watched helplessly as a 70 kilogram dog bit and scratched his two-year-old son at west-end park on Monday.

"It was like a bad dream, honestly," said Edward Ouellette, whose son, also named Edward, was attacked.

The Windsor Police Service is now looking for information regarding the dog and its owner.

The incident happened at 3 p.m. in a park behind an apartment building at 3461 Peter St.

Ouellette, 22, was playing with his son on the park equipment when he noticed a large brown dog walking toward them. The father described the dog as a pit bull / boxer mix.

Ouellette said the dog "came charging" at his son, knocking him to the ground.

“The dog came up and attacked him, just started tearing him up,” he said. “It got his legs and started working his way up to his head.”

"My heart dropped," Ouellette said. "The dog had his ear in his mouth. It was really gruesome."

Ouellette said the dog may have eaten part of his son's ear. His son also suffered scratches to the face and legs.

Ouellette kicked the dog twice to get it off his son, who was on the ground.

"I did what I had to do," Ouellette said. "It could have been worse. Thank God it wasn’t."

Paramedics transported the boy to Windsor Regional Hospital. He was treated and released for the dog bite to his left ear.

The toddler has already received three rabies shots and is scheduled for a series of even more shots.

"No kid should be going through this," Ouellette said.

Officers searched the area throughout the night in an attempt to locate the dog and its owner but were unsuccessful.

Police are asking the dog's owner to come forward to confirm that the dog has had the proper vaccinations.

The dog is described as a large mixed breed pit bull-boxer, dark brown in colour with white spots on its cheeks and a red nose. The boy's father told officers that he had never seen the dog in the area before.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Windsor Police at 519-255-6700, ext. 4830. Or, people can call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 519-258-TIPS (8477).

(CBA -  Nov 29, 2011)