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LAYTON — An investigation is underway after a little boy lost the lower part of his arm after a dog bite in Layton.
The 4-year-old reached under his neighbor’s fence with a sock on his hand when police say a husky bit him Sunday afternoon.
KSL TV spoke to one neighbor Monday, who said the 4-year-old was still at the hospital awaiting another surgery.
The neighbor’s two dogs were quarantined at the Davis County Animal Care and Control in Fruit Heights. The animal control director there, Rhett Nicks, told KSL the holding is protocol for public health concern.
“That’s standard in Davis County. Any dog that bites or shows suspicion of biting is held for ten days to determine whether or not they have rabies,” Nicks said.
Sadly, Nicks said he sees multiple bite cases a year, but not usually this severe.
Many KSL viewers have asked if the responsible dog will be put down. Nicks said first there’s a lengthy investigation and then that’s for a judge to decide.
“That’s not an immediate for us, animal euthanasia. Here we’ve pretty much reached no-kill status for two years. Our goal is not to initially euthanize animals. Our goal in cases like this is to find out all the facts and determine where they lead us,” Nicks said.
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Neighbor's dog bites off child's hand in Layton, police say
A husky on Sunday bit off the hand of a 4-year-old boy who was trying to play with the dog through a fence in Layton, authorities said.Part of his investigation is figuring out which dog bit the boy and collecting statements from those in the area to determine if either of the dogs are deemed dangerous, he added.
He’ll also look to see if they have caused any problems in the past. He wouldn’t release that information to KSL while the investigation is underway.
Neighbors who spoke with KSL said they feel terrible for both families impacted by this incident — the family of the boy and the owners of the dog.
Kellie Henry still can’t believe the news. Her family shares a fence with the same dogs. She pointed us to a hole in their shared fence where the dog will bark at her children.
“I mean, I think any dog who has a hole right here would do that. But it’s scary to think about how easily it could have been my kid," she said.
