Toddler Suffered A Viscous Attack From Family Dog With No Prior Signs of Aggressive

By Rebecca Drew

A MUM has revealed her heartbreak that made it difficult for her to even look at her toddler after his face was mauled by her parents’ pet dog and has now set up a Go Fund Me page so she can pay for his facial reconstruction.

On May 12, this year, insurance coordinator, Sarah Fuller (28) from Portland, Oregon, USA, was at work whilst her parents were looking after her three-year-old son, Micajah, who was two-and-a-half at the time just like they had done countless times before.

Then at around lunchtime on that day, Sarah received a devastating phone call from her mum that no parent ever wants, telling her that her adorable little boy had been attacked by the family Pitbull, Bobo, who they had had for nine-years.

Sarah left work and drove frantically to the hospital where her parents had taken Micajah but was warned by the nurse that she couldn’t go into the room until he had been bandaged up as his injuries were so shocking. At first, Sarah found it incredibly difficult to look at her son without breaking down.

Micajah needed to undergo facial reconstruction surgery due to the punctures from the bite going through his cheek, which stretched the nerves in his face, teared back his gums and pulled out his front tooth, he also underwent gum grafting and will have to undergo further facial surgery once he has finished growing.

Sarah has set up a Go Fund Me page to help cover the costs. Understandably, the attack caused tension within Sarah’s family but her parents took full responsibility for Bobo’s actions and Sarah would never sue her parents as they mean the world to her.

“My son wasn’t in full time day care at the time, so I was having him watched by my family. I was actually at work at the time when I got the horrific call from my mum. It was about half one on May 12 when he was attacked by the family dog we had for nine years,” explained Sarah.

“I pretty much drove like a crazy person across town to the hospital he was taken to by my parents. When I arrived, I couldn’t even go in the room because the nurse wouldn’t tell me how bad it was, but her facial expressions said it all. They covered him up with bandages, so I didn’t freak out when I saw him.

“It was very hard to look at my son after this happened because I just wanted to cry, I felt so hopeless and sad for my son. I held a very positive attitude and knew that it could have been worse, and I’m just blessed he was alive.

“My son needed to undergo facial reconstructive surgery to his face due to one of the punctures going through his cheek and stretching the nerve in his face and tearing back his gums on the side and taking out his front tooth. He also needed to see an oral surgeon for the gum grafting.

“He is also quoted by his facial surgeon to undergo a future surgery when he’s finished growing.

“It caused a lot of tension between the family after the incident since it was my parents’ dog. There was a lot of emotions and I was forced to put him in school full time. Because I refused to send him back over there.

“My parents took all liability for the dog attack but since it’s my parents, I did not sue them. My family means a lot to me and all I have is my parents.”

The attack has left Micajah terrified of dogs, regardless of size and for the first month after his ordeal, he had nightmares each night.

Bobo never once showed signs of aggression before this freak incident and Sarah stressed the importance of keeping dogs away from children regardless of their seemingly good temperament.

“He is terrified of all dogs big or small. He was full of anger and sadness the first month after the attack and every night he would wake up from nightmares screaming,” said Sarah.

“His doctor recommended that we get him a puppy so he can grow up not scared of all dogs.

“Every time I had to take him out in public and someone looked at him, Micajah felt the need to tell everyone that Bobo did this to him.

“Keep all dogs away from kids even if you feel they won’t hurt them, dogs are naturally wild and we had no signs of our family dog being aggressive.”

For more information see www.gofundme.com/dog-attacks-amp-bites-4yr-olds-face