Utah boy, 5, survives dog mauling with more surgery, recovery ahead

SANDY, Utah — There are bodily wounds — after which are the emotional ones.

Mason Mihlberger, simply 5, survived a canine mauling that despatched him by helicopter to a hospital.

“I nearly died as a result of he bit me within the cheek,” Mason instructed KSL TV. “He was dragging me throughout, however my mother and pop got here.”

“If me and my husband weren’t there, my son can be lifeless proper now,” his mom Tori Mihlberger mentioned. “He went for his throat; he has chew marks on his throat.”

Mason was using his bike to his good friend’s home when he was attacked by a husky. His mom and father — and neighbors — heard the screams. Tori Mihlberger mentioned she kicked the canine a number of instances to get to the badly injured Mason.

“I don’t suppose I’ll ever neglect that. All I can take into consideration is wanting down the highway and seeing him search for at me and reaching out to me as if saying ‘assist me mother’ and the canine not letting go.”

Mason was flown to Main Kids’s Hospital the place he underwent reconstructive surgical procedure on his face and ear.

“They needed to sew his face in layers; each layer of the tissue has a layer of stitches,” Tori Mihlberger mentioned. She additionally mentioned a pores and skin graft was required for his badly broken ear.

Mason mentioned he feels courageous for the way he dealt with the assault, although he was afraid he would fall out of the medical helicopter.

“I punched him within the face as laborious as I can,” he mentioned. “It was good that I smashed him on the freaking highway.”

His mom mentioned Mason loves animals and wouldn’t do something to impress the assault.

“His eyes had been locked on Mason…As I got here up the canine was dragging him throughout the highway, simply throwing him round like a rag doll. I don’t know why however that canine needed to kill my son.”

She mentioned she kicked the canine twice and the third time as laborious as she may when it yelped and backed away so she picked up her son. She mentioned the animal stored following them, attempting to nook her husband and nipping at Mason. They needed to seize the canine, get on high of it and maintain it down with a knee on its throat. It had a collar however no tags.

With between 2,000 and three,000 stitches, and extra surgical procedure within the months forward, Mason has a protracted highway to restoration, however he’s house. Neighbors, a few of whom ran to assist once they heard the screams, tied inexperienced ribbons on the bushes in his yard. That’s his favourite coloration.

“We’ve had a lot love and assist from everyone round us,” Tori Mihlberger mentioned. “I admire it a lot.”

The canine was taken by animal management and is quarantined. Sandy police mentioned the case will probably be turned over to the county legal professional to determine what occurs to the canine and if its proprietor will face expenses.

Mason’s aunt began a GoFundMe to assist with Mason’s medical payments.

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