LITTLE ROCK — A 3-year-old Baxter County boy sustained severe injuries Thursday in an attack by a pit bull terrier that his mother adopted less than a month ago, authorities said.
Ryland Moody was in critical condition after undergoing surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said. The boy was airlifted to Little Rock after being treated at Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home for severe trauma and bite wounds around his face and head, Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said.
According to a sheriff’s report, officials at the Mountain Home hospital notified the sheriff’s office about 9 a.m. that a child was brought to the emergency room by private vehicle after being attacked by a dog.
The child’s mother, Amber J. Moody, told authorities her son was attacked by the family’s 9-month-old Pit Bull Terrier about 8 a.m. in the front yard of the family residence. The mother said she and a male friend brought the child to the hospital, the report said.
Montgomery said a preliminary investigation revealed that Amber Moody adopted the animal from the Baxter County Humane Society on March 7.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Humane Society manager Shawn McCormick said the organization has weight and age restrictions on the dog and on the child when adopting animals to families , but he said he was away from his office and not sure of the specifics.
In the adoption form, “the family states that they didn’t have any children,” McCormick said.
The sheriff confirmed that adoption paperwork that was filled out and signed by Amber Moody indicated that she put “none” in the section of the form asking about children.
He said all of the animal’s shots and vaccines were up to date at the time of the attack.
Montgomery said the attack was still under investigation.
McCormick said the organization’s animal adoption policy would be reviewed.