The attack happened in the 4300 block of Blue Springs Road in Cleveland. According to family members, the dog and the boy were playing outside when the dog began mauling the child.
"He was right here. He was down on the ground," pointed out 13-year-old Hunter, showing the spot where he rescued his little brother from a dog over the weekend.
The 8-year-old boy was attacked by a mix named Rocky. It was a stray taken in by the boy's family members several months ago.
"The whole back of the head was wide open, you could see the skull," said grandmother, Janie Simmons, reliving the horrifying scene.
The boy was rushed to Children's Hospital at Erlanger for emergency surgery. He now has 22 staples in the back of his head, stitches on his face, bruises and scabs all over.
"All he could say was, 'Save me, Mamaw, save me'," said Simmons.
The attack happened on Saturday. SPCA Animal shelter workers didn't pick up the dog until Sunday afternoon. They will quarantine it at the shelter for 10 days.
"We've had a child mauled, almost killed. And now hopefully they'll start paying attention. It's frustrating," said Cleveland resident Rachel Veazey. She is frustrated the county no longer has an animal control.
Several months ago, the county made a deal for SPCA to take over animal control duties. Right now the shelter is breaching the county's contract by turning away animals.
"If you don't have any place to put them, you can't take them in," said SPCA director Bobbi Anderson, adding the shelter doesn't have enough room -- or money -- to make it work right now.
On top of concerns at the shelter, Anderson believes the dog who attacked the child never had its rabies shots, adding worries for the boy's health.
Shelter officials don't yet know if the dog will be euthanized, but expect a decision to come later this week.
(WRCB - July 29, 2014)
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