Hero Saves Child Being Mauled By Dogs
Posted December 27, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
When Mark Berka pulled into his driveway on Christmas Day, he expected to be greeted by the charm of the festive decorations that adorned his east-end Hamilton neighbourhood. Instead, he was confronted with a frightening life and death struggle between a little boy and two crazed Rottweilers.
Berka instantly knew that if he didn’t intervene, the boy’s life would surely be lost.
“I ran over and kicked the one dog because they were just pulling him apart,” he recalled.
“The one dog was kind of a little more passive but the other one was just wanted to kill him.”
Mark lives two houses from the playground where the boy was ferociously attacked. He recalls seeing the dogs shaking him like a rag doll, literally trying to tear him apart.
Alicia English lives nearby and helped tend to the badly injured toddler.
“He was covered in blood,” she said. “His cheek was all open and his ear, there was so much blood, you couldn’t really see what was wrong.”
The two dogs, a male and female, are currently in the city of Hamilton Animal Control Quarantine area. They will stay there for the next ten days after which they will be euthanized.
In the meantime, the young victim, who turns 3 next month, is recuperating at Children’s Hospital at McMaster after undergoing extensive surgery.
What Should You Do If A Dog Attacks You?
You’re out for a walk, when suddenly you see it – a dog charging up to you, its intentions clearly not friendly.
The vast majority of canines will never hurt anyone. Most domesticated dogs are good natured and well trained. They rarely if ever attack people.
But sometimes their primal instincts take over and for reasons which may never be clear, they revert to the wild animals they used to be in antiquity.
What should you do if it happens to you?
Here are some suggestions.
Stand still and don’t run
Most dogs see flight as a reason to chase you. And unless you can find refuge before it catches up to you, running may only encourage it to come after you faster. Stand facing sideways from the dog, but don’t look directly at it. Dogs can see that as a challenge.
Be commanding
Dogs may not understand English, but they do have a sense of what your tone means. A commanding presence and a loud “No!” “Down!”, or “Stay!” can sometimes be enough to reassert your dominance and if the animal has had previous training, it may cause it to kick in.
If the animal attacks
Experts say you shouldn’t try to break free, but actually move slowly closer. Dogs clamp down harder when they feel resistance, making the bites worse.
Fight back
Small dogs are especially vulnerable around the nose. If it’s attacking you, sometimes hitting it on the sensitive area can be enough to stun the animal into letting go. It sounds cruel and should only be used in the event you’re being hurt, but the eyes and ears are also good areas where a dog is vulnerable.
Protect yourself
Dogs often go for the neck or face, so make sure you keep them covered. Your throat is also vulnerable, so tuck your arm into the area as tight as it can go if you wind up on the ground. But try and stay on your feet. Your height is an advantage.
When you’re free
Seek medical attention at once, even if you’re not badly hurt. An attacking dog could have rabies, a disease that requires immediate shots and can be fatal if left untreated. Let animal experts try and capture the canine. You shouldn’t attempt to have any further interaction with it.
