UPDATE: Animal control has informed Sapulpa Times that the dog has been euthanized as a result of the attack and that they actively working to keep that family from owning animals. Family members of the boy say he required 78 stitches as a result of the attack.
—
A 4-year-old boy was transported to Saint Francis Hospital on Monday after being attacked by a dog in his own home, according to Sapulpa Police.
Sapulpa Police received a call on Monday at 6:09 pm about a 4-year-old girl being bitten in the face by a dog and was being transported to Saint Francis hospital. The call logs listed the address as Little People Place Learning Center.
A conversation with Sapulpa Police Tuesday morning made some corrections. It was a boy—not a girl—who had been bitten, and the location of the incident was actually inside a home located near the intersection of Maple Street and Lincoln Avenue.
According to Sapulpa Police, a 16-year-old girl owned the brindle-colored Pitbull and had it tied up in a bedroom of the residence.
The 4-year-old boy was in the living room with his father and walked down the hallway to see his mother in another room. When he walked by the bedroom, the dog leaped out and attacked the boy, causing some severe lacerations on his face.
The boy was transported to Saint Francis. His condition is not known at this time.
The father of the boy told police that he didn’t realize the leash would extend out into the hallway.
In a strange turn of events, because the owner of the dog is a minor, citations were issued to the boy’s grandmother, who is believed to be the owner of the home. It’s not known if she was even present at the time of the incident.
The grandmother was issued four separate citations: Harboring a vicious animal; Failure to sterilize (spay/neuter) a dog; Failure to vaccinate against rabies; Failure to have city animal tag.
Animal Control says it’s not the first time they’ve dealt with this family on animal control issues.
City code calls for the euthanization of a dog that bites anyone on the face. As of Tuesday morning, Sapulpa Police confirmed that was still the plan.
