Pitbulls Attack Chicago Child: 3-Year-Old Recovering After Mauling Attack By Pregnant Dog

Neighbor Came To Rescue Of 3-Year-Old Mauled By Pitbulls

A neighbor is credited with saving a Chicago boy's life after he sustained "multiple puncture wounds" from a pit bull mauling Monday afternoon.

Fire officials say the 3-year-old was attacked inside a building on the 7300 block of South Kingston Avenue at about 3:30 p.m. at a relative's home, CBS Chicago reports. The pit bulls belonged to a relative of the child, though it was unclear if it was the same relative who resides at the home.

“Basically all we were informed of is she has two pit bulls and they were tearing up the 3-year-old pretty good,” a fire department captain told CBS. “We don’t know why.”

NBC Chicago reports a fire spokesman later said the child wandered into a back room where a female pit bull was either pregnant or had just delivered a litter of puppies.

Luckily for the child, his cousin hopped Willie Riley's fence to tell the 48-year-old neighbor the boy was in trouble.

“The little boy was hurting so I had to go in there and see what was wrong," Riley told the Tribune. Riley fought the dogs off with a wooden plank, a move fire officials said may have saved the boy's life.

“I don’t know them people all that good," Riley said. "So I didn’t want to just go in the house. But since the baby was crying, I just went in the house. I had to.” Riley then took the boy to a fire station across the street.

The child sustained injuries to his ears, neck, torso and legs and was taken to Comer Children's Hospital for treatment. The child's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

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