Dog mauls 13-year-old boy delivering cupcakes to neighbor, Missouri police say

A boy suffered life-threatening injuries after he was attacked and mauled by his neighbor’s dog, according to Missouri police.

Police in Rolla came to a residence Saturday after learning a 13-year-old boy was attacked by a dog, which officers say was a pit bull. The boy was delivering cupcakes to the neighbor when the dog got off its chain and attacked the boy, police said.

The child was pinned to the ground by the dog, which kept mauling him despite attempts from its owners to restrain it, police said. Adults removed the dog from the boy, who received first aid from people on the scene,, according to police.

The child was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital, where he is being treated for “major injuries to his head, neck and face,” police said. An adult trying to restrain the dog also suffered a dislocated shoulder, according to police.

The dog was subdued by Rolla Animal Control officers and later euthanized at a veterinary clinic. Its owner was unable to provide proof that the dog received its rabies vaccination, police said.

Charges have not been filed against the dog’s owner.

This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 5:29 AM with the headline "Dog mauls 13-year-old boy delivering cupcakes to neighbor, Missouri police say."