A dog ‘mauled’ an ‘unattended’ toddler at an adoption event. Should it be euthanized?

A Colleyville mother’s worst nightmare unfolded before her eyes almost two weeks ago at a dog adoption event at Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park.

The dog, reported by several local outlets to be a pit bull mix, lunged at Allis Cho’s two-year-old, bit him and left the toddler with puncture wounds so severe on his chest and arm, that fatty tissue was coming from some of them, WFAA reported.

A statement from Dallas Pets Alive, the group that held the adoption event on Dec. 16, was obtained by KDFW Thursday and said the dog’s true breed is unknown, while also defending pit bulls against claims of undue aggression. But it was another claim within the agency’s statement that has Cho steaming: that her child, Luca Romero, was “unattended” when his was bitten.

“While the child had been in the area prior to the incident with his mother, at the time of the incident he had approached Rusty on his own. Rusty was on a leash and in a seated position and had shown no signs of aggression at the event,” Dallas Pets Alive said in the statement. “This leads us to conclude that when the unattended child approached Rusty, the dog likely reacted in fear.”

That statement came after Dallas Animal Services had taken custody of the dog and ordered it quarantined for a 10-day period while its fate is being decided. According to a separate report from WFAA, a hearing in the dog’s case has been set for Jan. 5.

“The dog lunged out and bit him in the right arm and chest, pulled him to the ground and was flailing him around,” Cho told KTVT. “Four or five guys had to come to pry the teeth off of him.”

Cho maintains that Rusty should be put down and also told KDFW the child was “two feet away from me” when he was bitten.

“We would feel guilty if he went on to attack another kid,” she told WFAA. “Obviously he’s traumatized.”

This story was originally published December 29, 2017 at 5:25 PM with the headline "A dog ‘mauled’ an ‘unattended’ toddler at an adoption event. Should it be euthanized?."