- A 5-year-old boy from Hurricane, Washington County, faces a long recovery after a dog attack on Oct. 25.
- Leo Fuller's mother, Brooke Chugg, demands the dog's removal while police continue investigating the incident.
SALT LAKE CITY — A 5-year-old boy from Hurricane, Washington County, is facing a long road to recovery after a traumatic dog attack left him with severe facial injuries. The incident occurred Oct. 25, and now his mother is demanding answers.
Leo Fuller, a cheerful boy known for playing outside with neighborhood friends, was bitten in the face after approaching a dog to give it a hug. The dog, whose vaccination status is unknown, is currently under quarantine.
"I have a son and a daughter, and every day, they go outside to play with their friends," said Brooke Chugg, Leo's mother.
But that routine was shattered in an instant.
"One of my neighbors is knocking, pounding. I walk outside, and he's got a shirt held up against my son's face," Brooke recalled.
Leo was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. The extent of his injuries required hours of surgery.
"We got there a little after 11, and he didn't get out of surgery until close to 7:30," Chugg said.
Doctors treated Leo for a severed nerve, multiple lacerations and puncture wounds. He received dozens of stitches and will need ongoing reconstructive procedures.
"They will have to go in and keep doing reconstruction, in terms of plastic surgery and stuff," Chugg explained. "And they still have to keep an eye on the nerves that were damaged during the attack."
She is now calling for the dog to be permanently removed from the neighborhood.
"I would like to see the dog fully removed from the property," she said.
Leo has since been released from the hospital, but must undergo a series of vaccinations due to uncertainty about the dog's immunization status. Police say the case remains under investigation.
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