Las Cruces Child Mauled By Dog


www.ktsm.com
Thursday, May 3, 2007

The attack happened just after 9:00 this morning in the 7600 block of Kissiah in northern Las Cruces. Investigators tell us the child's mother was sweeping outside her home when she heard her neighbor's dog growling. She saw her son walk towards the dog and tried to stop him, but was too late.

The child was airlifted to Thomason Hospital where he is being treated for bites to his ear, face, thigh and arm. The toddler, one and a half years old, was attacked by a rottweiler investigators say was chained up at the time of the attack.

The dog was taken by Animal Control and has been put to sleep. The owner of the dog is the boy's uncle and it is still not known if he will face charges.

Toddler recovering after being
mauled by Rottweiler

By Renée Ruelas-Venegas / Las Cruces Sun-News
05/04/2007

LAS CRUCES -- A toddler is recovering at an El Paso hospital today after being mauled Thursday morning by a Rottweiler at an East Mesa home, authorities said.

Doña Ana County sheriff's deputies responded soon after 9 a.m. to 7611 No. 2 Kissiah Drive, just outside the city, investigator Bo Nevarez said.

Nevarez said the mother of the 20-month-old boy was sweeping when she noticed the child went outside, headed toward the dog. The dog was chained to the bumper of a truck, only feet from the front door of the boy's home.

The mother said she yelled at the boy to stop, but the dog grabbed the child in his mouth and began to shake him, Nevarez said.

The mother kicked the dog until she was able to free her son and call 911.

Nevarez said the child's injuries included a torn ear and puncture wounds to the side of his face, right arm and inner thigh.

He was airlifted to Thomason Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair his ear. Investigators said they were not releasing the name of the boy at this time.

The owner of the dog, Eduardo Hernandez, 25, is the boy's uncle. He surrendered the Rottweiler to animal control. Nevarez said the dog would be euthanized and sent to an Albuquerque lab for examination, which is the usual procedure in a mauling.

Nevarez said the animal appeared to have all his shots, most recently in January. He said the dog, Rocky, had no history of violence.

Hernandez also gave up a second Rottweiler that was on the property but did not harm the child. That dog will probably not be euthanized, Nevarez said.

"The uncle was pretty shook up and upset by what happened," Nevarez said. "He is cooperating with the investigation."

Animal Control will investigate to determine whether any charges will be filed.

The mobile home where the mauling took place is on a large lot with two other mobile homes close to each other.

"This is another reason why parents should always be watchful and careful with any big dogs and children," Nevarez said. "Dogs can be unpredictable."

In a similar situation, a 5-year-old Chaparral boy was severely mauled by a large dog in December.

After that incident, Animal Control Supervisor Ellie Choate said maulings were rare in Doña Ana County but that about 30 dog bites a year were reported.

Choate said children are especially vulnerable because of their size. Dogs don't view children as "human," she said. Rather, they are viewed as part of the dog pack because they are of similar size and are at eye level. That leads dogs to view children as a threat and makes them more prone to attack.

"It is important to restrain dogs," Choate said. "But you can't just chain them. That makes them more aggressive. If people are going to keep a large animal, they need to keep it in a kennel. Chaining them drives them insane, basically, and they don't know how to behave."

Renée Ruelas-Venegas may be reached at rruelas@lcsun-news.com

 

No charges filed against dog owner
in mauling of toddler

By Renée Ruelas-Venegas / Las Cruces Sun-News
05/05/2007

LAS CRUCES -- No charges will be filed against the owner of a dog that mauled an East Mesa toddler Thursday morning, deputies said.

Doña Ana County sheriff's investigator Bo Nevarez said the boy was recovering at Thomason Hospital in El Paso, where he underwent surgery to repair an ear that was torn in the mauling.

"Everything is intact, and he is in stable condition," Nevarez said. "He's being a typical one-and-a-half-year-old."

Nevarez declined to name the boy at the request of the family, but an incident report listed the boy's name as Manuel Hernandez Jr.

The owner of the dog, Eduardo Hernandez, 25, who is the uncle of the boy, will not be charged.

"The dog was chained; it was the boy who approached him; he (the dog) had all his shots," Nevarez said. "We found no other violations. And the owner cooperated and surrendered the dog."

Nevarez said deputies were called to 7611 Kissiah just outside the city, about 9 a.m. Thursday.

The mother, Diana Gongoria, said she was sweeping when the 20-month-old walked toward the Rottweiler, which was chained to a truck a few yards from the boy's front door.

The dog grabbed the child in his mouth and shook him, Nevarez said.

Gongoria kicked the dog until she was able to free her son and call 911. Nevarez said the child's injuries included the torn ear and puncture wounds to the side of his face, right arm and inner thigh.

The dog, Rocky, and another Rottweiler that was on the property but not involved in the mauling, were euthanized. Rocky was sent to an Albuquer que lab for examination, the usual procedure in a mauling.

Renée Ruelas-Venegas may be reached at rruelas@lcsun-news.com