An eight-year-old boy was seriously injured in a dog attack in Manchester, New Hampshire, this week, an incident that also left a good Samaritan wounded after attempting to intervene. According to NBC Boston, the attack occurred coming up on 12:15 p.m. yesterday at a home near Harriman Park on Lake Avenue.
The child was reportedly trying to retrieve a ball when he climbed over a fence and was attacked by a Rottweiler. A man who tried to save the boy was subsequently assaulted by a second dog, believed to be a mixed breed. Witnesses described the scene as "very vicious," and one neighbor, Eric Harnum, resorted to using a spade shovel to try and effectively stop the dogs. "I went in and just start wailing on them dogs with it. I beat them over the head silly," Harnum told NBC Boston.
First responders from the Manchester Fire Department transferred the child to Elliott Hospital due to his serious arm injuries. Another neighbor, Matthew Buchan, who also was bitten while helping, said despite his bites, "I just did what was right" in a statement obtained by NBC Boston. The Manchester Police Department has not yet disclosed whether the owners of the dogs will face charges.
Witness accounts also detailed the aftermath, with one claiming to see the child "covered from head to toe in blood." Neighbor Rebecca Meattey told WCVB that she tended to the boy until an ambulance arrived, noting her surprise at the aggression from the dogs. "They just are in the yard, definitely a surprise," she said regarding her previous observations of the animals. Manchester Animal Control has taken both dogs into custody following the attack.
