The boy was taken to the emergency room at Providence Alaska Medical Center. According to Hansen, the boy's wounds needed to be cleaned and stitched up.
“He looked like he was hurting and a little emotional -- I don't think his dog has ever done that before and it was unprovoked, so he was scared,” Hansen said. “It's a family dog, so he's upset about it.”
Anchorage Animal Care and Control spokesperson Brooke Taylor says its officers responded to the hospital to begin their investigation.
With a minor attack, especially one occurring within the family, Taylor says there is no risk of the dog being euthanized, unless the family requests it.
"The family is a big part of the investigation and how they want to move forward," Taylor said.
Anchorage Animal Care and Control is only required to euthanize an attacking animal when it inflicts "serious physical injury or death" on its victim, if it has a prior history of moderately injuring others, or if it is used as a weapon in the commission of a crime.
“The most important thing to take away from a situation like this is the importance of parents talking to their kids about how to be safe around animals,” Taylor said.
Taylor says dogs can become particularly defensive when napping, eating or playing with a favorite toy.
She says pit bulls often have negative connotations associated with them, but that she’s seen dog bites from all different kinds of breeds.
"Labrador retrievers can bite just as easily, but they don't have the negative image that a pit bull has," Taylor said.
Hansen says the dog will likely be placed on a mandatory 10-day quarantine for any animal that has bitten a human, which can be taken at the dog's home or at Animal Control.
Contact Jason Lamb at jlamb@ktuu.com.
