Arkansas: Nine-year-old boy riding his bike is knocked down and repeatedly chased and attacked by neighbor's pit bull

ARKANSAS -- One Caraway 9-year old boy put his athletic ability to the test as he was literally running for his life after his neighbor’s Pit Bull chased him off his bike.

Riding his bike around the block with his cousin Sunday afternoon, Matthew Johnson came face to face with his biggest fear against dogs.

“We were coming around the corner,” said Matthew. “The next thing I see, a man opened his door and the dog came running out at me.”

The dog eventually made Matthew jump off his bike.

“I went into the grass and I just kept running,” said Matthew. “Then he bit me.”

While Matthew was running for his life from the dog, his cousin alerted his grandfather.

“We were having us a little family reunion,” said Jerry Vaughn, Matthew’s grandfather. “All of a sudden, his cousin rode up and said ‘Matthew was bit by a dog!’”

Vaughn said when he found Matthew, he was with the dog’s owners with a bite to his hand.

 “He had the bad scratches that would not stop bleeding,” said Vaughn. “It bled all day Monday and up until last night.”

Vaughn said he was very thankful for the quick actions of the dog owner for jumping in just in time to save his grandson.

  

  

  

 

“Without the owner being there, I don't like to think what would have happened,” said Vaughn.

Matthew was taken to the emergency room, where he received antibiotics for his wound. Vaughn said he is just blessed that the wound to his hand was all they had to treat.

“We are just lucky that he had the strength and the athletic ability to stay away from that dog,” said Vaughn.

Now Vaughn wants this situation to be a lesson to all parents in any neighborhood with dangerous dogs.

“Matthew was really lucky," said Vaughn. “The next one may not be. Parents, grandparents and all, know your area, know your neighborhood and know where your kids are at all times.”

Matthew said he thinks the dog just wanted to play, but he hopes other kids do not have to experience what he did.

“If it just wants to play, play with it,” said Matthew. “But if it wants to bite you, run!”

Vaughn says this issue is expected to be brought before the city council.

He said he hopes officials will make a stricter dog ordinance that would prevent situations like this from happening again.

(KAIT - April 12, 2017)