Neighbor's dog bites 5-year-old boy's finger off

By T.J. Aulds
The Daily News
Published December 21, 2010

BACLIFF — A 5-year-old boy playing with the neighbor’s dog had one of his fingers bitten off Monday afternoon, officials said. First responders found the severed finger, and the boy was taken by air ambulance to a Houston hospital where doctors were to try to reattach the amputated digit.

The dog bite happened in the 5200 block of Chasewood Drive in Bacliff about 5:20 p.m. The boy was playing with the dog when the canine — believed to be a Labrador — bit off the boy’s right hand ring finger, Bacliff Fire Chief James Westinghausen said.

The missing finger was found and put on ice as the boy was taken by air ambulance to Memorial Herman Hospital in Houston, Westinghausen said. The dog was taken by Galveston County Animal Control, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said.

Despite the trauma of the event, the boy remained calm, Westinghausen said.

“When we arrived, he wasn’t crying or freaking out,” the chief said. “He was more calm than the adults were. We had to calm the adults down, while the boy was calm and overall seemed to be in good shape.”

The case was under investigation and no charges or citations were issued Monday, Tuttoilmondo said.

The Daily News was unable to reach the boy’s family for an update on his medical condition.

News Media: For more information contact Kurt Koopmann, GCHD Public Information Officer, 409-938-2211 or kkoopman@gchd.org)