PHILADELPHIA (KYW/CNN) – A young boy in Philadelphia was hospitalized and a man arrested after a family dog attacked the boy and the man shot it, police say.
According to police, a 4-year-old boy suffered bites to his body Monday afternoon when a dog attacked and dragged him across the yard.
“He bit most of his skin off, and his neck looks very bad,” witness Adrian Rodriguez said.
Several neighbors reportedly tried to intervene, hitting the dog with sticks, a weed wacker and other objects, but the dog didn’t stop until the 4-year-old was motionless.
The boy was transported to an area hospital, where he’s listed in stable condition.
“Once the dog let go of the child, he was all happy. His tail wagged, and then, a person came out and just shot the dog,” Adrian said.
Police say an unidentified man shot and killed the dog, and he was taken into custody.
“I think I would have done the same if it was my child,” witness Hadi Bashart said.
The man told reporters he was just trying to protect the neighborhood and that he’s sorry he couldn’t shoot the dog earlier in the attack.
“He did a good thing, like he said, he was keeping the neighborhood safe. If nobody came out and did that to that dog, imagine that dog going home. He’s going to do it again to somebody else,” neighbor Ejunior Elysseee said.
It’s unclear if charges have been filed against the shooter.
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