Source: Burak Karademir / Getty
No Words
A parent’s worst nightmare went down in Utah recently when it comes to children and animals. In a horrific act, a dog bit off a 4-year-old’s hand when the kid stuck their arm underneath a fence, according to Time.
The kid was wearing a sock on their arm when they slipped it between the ground and a solid vinyl fence in a backyard on Sunday. According to the Layton Fire Battalion Chief Jason Cook, a husky on the other side bit off the boy’s entire hand AND two to three inches of his arm.
The boy’s dad tried to contain the bleeding and comfort his son until emergency assistance arrived. A helicopter ended up flying the boy to a hospital in Salt Lake City, where he had surgery, Cook said. The child is doing well and is expected to survive, according to officials.
Unfortunately, authorities weren’t able to find his hand, which brings about horrifying theories of what the dog could’ve done with it. Police think the dog might’ve eaten it.
Animal control officials and medical personnel considered putting down the dog to retrieve the possible hand they ingested, but the surgeon said it wasn’t a viable option.
The husky is set to be quarantined for 10 days, said Rhett Nicks, director for Davis County Animal Care and Control. Officials have not decided whether the dog will be put down or listed as a dangerous canine. An investigation is underway.
Cook said this was the animal’s first reported bite. It’s not determined whether the dog owners will face consequences. The dog was properly fenced in at the house.
Cook didn’t know if the boy was right-handed or not, but he said he should be able to adapt since he’s so young.
“He’ll kind of grow into his dexterity,” Cook said. “But it’s certainly life-changing. It’s just a sad turn of events for the young, little guy.”
Sad. Unfortunate.
And brutal.