Pack of dogs attacks boy riding his bike in NC, mom says. ‘They were eating my son’
A pack of dogs attacked a North Carolina boy as he rode his bike, sending him to a hospital, his mother told news outlets.
“They looked like they were starving,” Amber Barnes told the Tryon Daily Bulletin. “The way I looked at it, they were eating my son.”
Barnes said her 12-year-old boy was riding to a friend’s house in Rutherford County when a group of about 10 loose dogs surrounded him. She went looking for her son and found him in a ditch as the attack was still going on, the newspaper reported.
Fortunately, two people managed to pull the dogs from the boy. His mom said she then loaded her seriously injured son into the car and headed to an emergency room, according to WLOS.
“It’s unreal that he’s still alive,” Barnes told the TV station, adding that her son is expected to spend weeks in the hospital.
News outlets report that the child was attacked Aug. 25 or 26. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it happened along a road, roughly 35 miles southeast of the popular mountain town of Asheville.
Now, Barnes said her son could face more surgeries due to the extent of his wounds. She doesn’t know when the boy — a Polk County Middle School seventh-grader who loves to play sports — will go back to class, WHNS and other news outlets reported.
As of Aug. 31, the sheriff’s office said three dogs are in quarantine and charges haven’t been filed against their owners. An investigation continues, and deputies could discuss potential charges with the district attorney’s office in the future, according to WHNS and the Tryon Daily Bulletin.
Rutherford County deputies and a woman believed to be Barnes didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for additional information on Aug. 31.
What to know about dog attacks
“Dogs give us comfort, companionship, exercise, entertainment, and unconditional love,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “But it’s important to remember that any dog can bite, even trusted family pets.”
Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people each year in the U.S., and nearly 800,000 of those people need medical attention, according to the CDC.
Any dog can bite if they feel scared or nervous, or if they want to be alone. You should never approach a dog that seems angry or scared, the CDC said.
If an unfamiliar dog comes up to you, officials say you should:
Stay calm and be still.
Avoid eye contact with the dog.
Don’t panic or make loud noises. Don’t run.
Say “no” or “go home” in a deep voice. Stand with the side of your body toward the dog.
Slowly raise your hands to your neck and back away slowly.
This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Pack of dogs attacks boy riding his bike in NC, mom says. ‘They were eating my son’."
