In Taylor, a neighbour stopped a pit bull from attacking a 4-year-old girl by using his tablet.
The Robbinwood Villa mobile home neighbourhood was the scene of the attack on Wednesday, April 30, at approximately 11:30 a.m. at Fourth and Chesterfield.
According to the police, a second dog, a 60–80 pound pit bull, escaped from its house and attacked the kid as she entered the neighbor’s yard to pet a dog that was outside.
“My understanding is the door wasn’t shut all the way to the storm door, and the dog, after it saw the girl come into the yard, it got out and attacked,” said Taylor Det. Cpl. Mark Johnson.
What transpired was revealed by a neighbour who assisted in saving the girl.
“I came outside to talk to the mailman, and I heard the baby screaming,” said Eddie Cooper, who was bloodied and bitten himself.
And he rushed to assist after seeing what he saw.
“It was traumatic, I’ve never seen a baby’s face being chewed by a pit bull before,” said Cooper.
A woman attempted to grasp the dog, but it was too powerful. To halt the assault, Cooper struck it as hard as he could in the skull.
When that failed, Cooper struck the dog with the tablet he was holding.
“It wouldn’t stop – I had my tablet, I have a broken tablet because I beat it in the head until it let the baby’s face go.”
Local 4 asked Cooper, “What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t jumped in and stopped the attack?”
“I know what would’ve happened,” said Cooper. “That child wouldn’t be here right now.
The girl is likely to live while receiving treatment at the hospital for her injuries.
Her father informed Local 4 that she would require facial reconstruction surgery.
Animal control officers seized the pit bull that had mauled the 4-year-old girl.
“The dog is friendly,” neighbor Brandy Cope said. “Never bit anyone. He comes over to my house. We take him places. The owner takes him places. I’ve raised him since he was a baby. I’m just not understanding why that happened.”
