A Fresno child was released from the intensive care unit after being mauled by a loose pit bull while on a walk earlier this month.
On August 1, the four-year-old was walking with his 15-year-old babysitter and her 7-year-old brother.
The boy’s father, Cortney Neal, recounted to Click2Houston how his son Carson told the story: “He’s like, ‘The dog was big, Dad. The dog was big and black, and he dragged me.'”
The father said his son was afraid of dogs, and although the small group of kids “were trying to run,” the 4-year-old could not get away. Neal said his son explained to him, “I kind of froze, Dad.”
The boy was in the ICU after undergoing multiple surgeries and stitches, as he was leaking spinal fluid. According to his mother, he may suffer facial disfigurement and some hearing loss, though his ear drum remained intact.
The parents credit the 15-year-old babysitter for saving Carson’s life. She never left him, even though she too got bit. She held onto the dog’s collar and screamed for help while trying to pull the pitbull off.
Cortney Neal said, “We couldn’t have asked anything more than what she did.”
The owner came eventually and freed the boy from the dog.
The family created a GoFundMe page to accept donations for paying hospital bills and other expenses as the mother may miss some work to be with her son as he recovers. Donations by Wednesday were about 80% of the way toward meeting their $10,000 goal.
This incident comes just weeks after a 71-year-old man was mauled to death in Fresno by seven loose pitbulls. In that case, the owner was arrested and charged with a second-degree felony.