Pit Bull Sought In Attack On 3-Year-Old Rio Linda Boy

January 13, 2012 5:34 PM

Reporting Maria Medina

RIO LINDA (CBS13) — A 3-year-old boy was attacked by a pit bull in the boy’s front yard. He’s expected to be OK, but the dog is still on the loose.

“The dog just jumped on him right there,” said Josh Lewis, the boy’s father, pointing to the front porch.

Caden was bit by a pit bull in the face, then bit again on the neck.

“He had a bite right here on his nose and you could see it like torn,” Lewis said.

His father was just a few feet away in his shed and heard the growl coming from his porch. He ran to find his son bloodied and shocked, and the dog scurried away.

Since the attack two days ago, Sacramento County Animal Control has hit the Rio Linda neighborhood talking to anyone with dogs.

“We want to find that dog and maybe get him off the street,” an Animal Control officer said.

They’ve been taking pictures of canines that may fit the dog’s description: a smaller sized pit, mostly tan with black and white markings. But for two days…they’ve found nothing.

Nearly everyone who lives in the neighborhood owns a dog, and many of them are pit bulls, making it unlikely for animal control to find the right canine.

“There’s quite a bit. I seem to rescue them a lot nowadays,” resident Collin Grable said.

Animal Control’s biggest concern is trying to find out whether the dog carries rabies and passed it to lCaden.

Josh Lewis says his son is playing again as he recovers in the hospital but believes his son could’ve died that night:

“If I didn’t run out after the dog it, probably would’ve been a lot worse,” he said.

Pit Bull Sought In Attack On 3 Year Old Rio Linda Boy

Bishop916

I don’t think those are pit bulls in the photo there…

Keith Swerling

No these are two other dogs scared as hell they are gonna be attacked by this pit bull next and end up in a news story posted here.

URFULOFIT

ff
Heather Garcia

I am so glad that the boy is going to make a full recovery. I really wish people wouldnt automatically assume that the dog that attacked was a pit bull. They are wonderful dogs with a bad rap due to media. however, i hope the dog that attacked the little boy is found and euthanized.
Karen

The news is wrong and misleading when they say that the child is being treated with antibiotics to prevent rabies. Antibiotics will control a bacterial infection. This may also help reduce scaring. Rabies vaccination is used to prevent rabies infection. Rabies is a virus, and fortunately it develops slowly enough for a vaccine given shortly after exposure to prevent infection. Once signs of rabies develop, which could take weeks to monts, there is no coming back.
sassafras

I pray this dog is found fast so the little guy does not have to go through the rabies vacinations. Yes they can be wonderful dogs but they cannot be trusted around strangers or unknown kids and thats a fact. They are terrific watch dogs but should “NEVER” be out of their own yard.

Sara Dechert

I have 2 pitts, and they r the most friendliest dogs i seen, when ever thy see kids they roll over for belly rubs and play with them ( even kids they dont know) only time i have ever seem thm act aggressively is wen my son is out side and a stranger approaches. They dnt evn growl at the mail man.

Keith Swerling

Are you suggesting that the huge number of pit attacks reported all over the country are anomalies? We read about more pit bull mauling than any other breed.

In general these dogs need to be treated with respect, like armed weapons. It seems the pits that are not yours are the problem.

People who own weapons are required to have gun licenses. I am sure you would feel safer if only the people with licenses had the weapons, instead of gang members and other irresponsible owners who let their sweet pets run free to kill.