A boy, aged around nine, was attacked by a pit bull in Wexford at the weekend and remains in hospital in “serious condition”.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon while the boy was playing with his friends at a farm in Enniscorthy.
It is understood that the dog did not belong to the boy’s family, but was owned by a local in the area who got the dog just a few weeks ago.
Gardaí and emergency services rushed to the scene and the dog responsible for the attack has already been euthanized.
Due to the severity of his injuries, the Irish Coast Guard Rescue helicopter 117 arrived on the scene and transported the boy to Crumlin Children’s Hospital, where he “undergoing treatment for serious injuries”.
Locals who witnessed the attack described it as “shocking” and “terrible”, and the Gardaí say their investigations are ongoing.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast on Monday, the Irish Independent’s public affairs correspondent Amy Molloy explained: “This is a bit of a shock announcement, that happened yesterday in Enniscorthy. It is understood that a young boy, believed to be about nine years of age was playing with a group of friends in an estate when this dog – which appeared to be loose – attacked him,” reports The Mirror.
Ms Molloy said locals described the incident as “ruthless” and “awful” while parents in the area say their children are traumatized watching the attack unfold.
She went on to say that “a number of neighbours tried to pull the dog off the young boy,” reports The Mirror.
The boy underwent surgery last night and locals say they hope he survives, however there have been no updates on his condition this morning.
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