North Carolina boy, 12, attacked by pack of dogs: ‘They were eating him’
‘They looked like they were starving, the way I looked at it, they were eating my son,’ the boy’s mother said
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
A pack of dogs attacked a boy while he was riding his bike in North Carolina, sending him to hospital with serious injuries.
Amber Barnes told the Tryon Daily Bulletin that her 12-year-old son Hunter was biking to a friend’s house in Rutherford County, North Carolina, on 26 August when a pack of about ten loose dogs suddenly circled him.
She said that she went looking for Hunter, finding him in a nearby ditch as the dogs were still attacking him.
“They looked like they were starving, the way I looked at it, they were eating my son,” said Ms Barnes, who has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses.
Two people managed to pull the dogs off the boy, allowing enough time for his mother to lift her son to safety.
Ms Barnes then loaded Hunter into her car and took him to hospital.
The 12-year-old was then airlifted to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, where he underwent four surgeries, the Daily Bulletin reported.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the attack, saying that it took place 35 miles outside Asheville on Grassy Knob Road and that three of the dogs are currently in quarantine.
Ms Barnes said that Hunter, who is in seventh grade and loves to play sports, is expected to spend weeks in hospital and does not know when he will be able to go back to school, WHNS reported.
The severity of his wounds means he might need to undergo further surgeries.
“It’s unreal that he’s still alive,” said Ms Barnes.
She added: “Putting some dogs into custody is not going to get justice for my son. They’re going to be out in ten days and somebody else is going to get hurt.
“If you can’t take care of dogs, give them to someone who can make them, let them be raised right.”
No charges have yet been brought against the dogs’ owners as the investigation continues.