Pit Bull Owner Charged With Felony In Dog Attack On 2-Year-Old Boy
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

By Denise A. Justin, Opposing Views
September 2013

A dog owner who consistently allowed his Pit Bull mix to run loose without a leash is facing serious charges after the dog mauled a 2-year-old boy in southwest Houston on August 27, according to Houston Police.

Anthony Donnell Ruff was charged this week with dog attack/ failure to secure dog; a felony, reports KHOUTV.

Ruff, 22, admits he let his Pit Bull-mix go outside unleashed and unsupervised on the day of the attack to “use the bathroom” at the apartment complex where he lives in Houston, Texas.

Ruff said his 8-year-old stepson was with the dog when it viciously attacked a 2-year-old toddler who also lived in the building and was playing outside with his 4-year-old brother. Ruff stated that the dog had never before acted aggressively.

Court papers reveal that Ruff’s stepson told a different story to investigators, stating that he was outside playing with the other kids when Ruff opened the door and let the dog run out without a leash. He said Ruff told him to “take the dog to the restroom,” and then he went back inside and closed the door.

The stepson said he saw the dog attacking the 2-year-old and ran back inside to tell Ruff. He described the dog as “bad” and said it frequently barked at people, according to the Houston Police report.

After the , the 4-year-old boy quickly ran inside and told their mother that his little brother was dead, KHOU reports.

The horrified mother ran outside and found her 2-year-old son with the neighbor’s dog nearby. Both were covered in blood, she said. Lacerations covered half the little boy’s face, the entire area across his scalp and forehead, and down his cheek. There were also multiple deep puncture wounds in the youngster’s back. The injured child, whom witnesses initially presumed dead, was rushed to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center.

The dog was later described by animal control as a Pit Bull-Rottweiler mix.

After a week-long investigation, the Houston Police Department arrested Ruff on felony charges for the vicious dog attack, according to CultureMax.com.

The defendant was taken to the county jail and later released on $5,000 bond. A court date is set for early October.

The 2-year-old boy is at home recovering with his family.

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