Toddler injured in dog attack

A dog attacked a 2-year-old boy in a northwest valley neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, sending the child to the hospital with bite marks to his face and neck.

The child was in serious condition Wednesday evening, a University Medical Center employee said. But he was expected to survive his injuries, according to David Riggleman, a spokesman for the city of Las Vegas, which oversees animal control in the area.

Las Vegas police were notified of the attack on the 9000 block of Wind Warrior Avenue, near U.S. Highway 95 and Durango Drive, at 4:48 p.m.

Riggleman said the attack occurred after winds blew open a gate where the 70-pound boxer was housed.

The boxer ran a short distance up the street and attacked the boy, who was walking with his father to get the mail, a neighbor said.

"I heard the dad yell for help and I didn't even think, I just ran up the street," Scott Lichte said. The first thing Lichte saw was the dog with its jaws latched onto the child's throat.

Lichte and the child's father tried to pry the dog's jaws open to get it off the boy's throat, while the dog's owner hit the dog on the head.

"The dog's head was massive. It took a lot to get the dog off the boy," Lichte said.

Lichte said the boy had a 2 inch to 3 inch cut on his left cheek, and deep cuts on the back of his head, neck and shoulder.

The dog's owners were cited for not having an updated dog license and for not having the dog's rabies vaccinations up to date, Riggleman said. The misdemeanor citations each carry $1,000 fines and the possibility of six months in jail, he said.

A person who answered the door at the home where the dog was kept would not speak to a reporter.

The boxer was taken to the Lied Animal Shelter where it will be quarantined for 10 days to ensure it doesn't have rabies, and then it will be euthanized. The dog's owners signed consent forms to allow the city to euthanize the animal, Riggleman said.

In April, two children, ages 4 and 5, were hospitalized after being attacked by two dogs, near Vegas Valley and McLeod drives. Neighbors identified the dogs as a boxer and a pit bull.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.