A pitbull attacked and bit the face of a two-year-old boy in the Italian province of Imperia, local media reported. The child was hospitalized. Doctors describe his condition as “serious”, but not life-threatening. How to react in the event of an attack by an aggressive dog?
The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Tuesday in the town of Vallecrosia in the western province of Imperia. Italian. The pitbull pounced on the two-year-old boy in his mother’s care and bit him in the face as he ran towards the woman’s partner, who was also the dog’s owner, entering the house, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported, citing preliminary findings of the authorities. The circumstances of the attack are being investigated as part of the investigation.
The two-year-old was transported by helicopter to a children’s hospital in Genoa. His condition is described as “severe”, but not life-threatening, the medics quoted by the daily indicated. On Wednesday, the Liguria Oggi website reported that the boy underwent facial surgery and his condition is stable, but “the bite marks will most likely remain forever.” RAI News noted that this was the second pit bull attack in the province of Imperia in a matter of days. “Last Friday, a 34-year-old woman was attacked, sustaining injuries to her arm and chest,” the Italian broadcaster’s website pointed out.
Dog attack – what to do and what not to do
What should you do if an aggressive dog attacks you? First of all, you can’t inflame the situation, i.e. don’t annoy, don’t scare, don’t make sudden movements – advised Anna Jaroszewicz in an interview with TVN24, manager of the Animal Shelter “Dolina Dolistówki” in Białystok. – You certainly can’t run away, because the dog will instinctively give chase, considering us as prey. Even when you are under stress, you must do your best to remain calm. Stand still and face the dog sideways. It would be good if at least on one side we would be protected by something, for example a wall of a building or a fence. You must not look the dog in the eye, but you must not show fear, Anna Jaroszewicz explained.
The expert also recommended the so-called turtle position. – This position will not protect against an attack or bite, but it will protect against an attack on the face, larynx, ears. In the case of a dog that has no behavioral problems or has not been trained to attack humans, this behavior should suffice. However, if the attacking dog is a dog with a “distorted” psyche, it may be that any method will be unreliable – emphasized Anna Jaroszewicz.
Corriere della Sera, Liguria Oggi, Rai News, tvn24.pl,
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