Police: Family Dog Shot, Killed After Attacking 4-Year-Old Boy In Philadelphia

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A young boy was hospitalized after Philadelphia police say he was attacked by a family dog on Monday afternoon.

It happened in the 4600 block of Shelbourne Street just before 3 p.m. in the Juniata Park section of the city.

Police say a 4-year-old boy suffered bites to his body after being attacked and dragged across the yard by a dog. The child received injuries to his, face, ear, shoulder area, lower back, and abdomen.

"He bit most of his skin off and his neck looks very bad," said Adrian Rodriguez.

Rodriguez tells CBS3 several neighbors tried to intervene, hitting the dog with a weedwacker and other objects, but the dog didn't stop until the boy was motionless.

The child was transported to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children where he's listed in stable condition.

The boy's mother tells police she struggled to keep the dog in the backyard after the attack. The dog somehow escaped and that's when police say someone shot and killed the dog.

"Once of the dog let go of the child, he was all happy. His tail wagged. Then a person came out and he just shot the dog," Rodriguez said.

"I think I would have done the same if it was my child," said a neighbor.

Police have not named the shooter but Eyewitness News saw this man in a red shirt placed in handcuffs. He tells CBS3 he was just trying protect the neighborhood.

"He did a good thing, like he said, he said he was keeping the neighborhood safe. If no one came out did that to that dog, imagine that dog going home, he would have done it to someone else," said Ejunior Elysseee, who lives in the neighborhood.

The man was later released without charges.

In:
• Philadelphia