Just before 3 p.m., police received a report of a boy bitten by an American bulldog at an apartment building on the Lower East Side.
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Joshua Rivera was bit several times in the face and arm.
Rivera was transported to a local hospital for surgery. He is in stable condition and expected to survive his injuries.
The dog, named Aries, belongs to the boy's family.
It took two people to pull the dog off of the boy.
"I just heard my nephew screaming," said Rivera's aunt and guardian. "I got bit myself trying to separate them."
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His aunt, Joanna Rivera, was in the bathroom while Rivera was allegedly playing with the dog.
According to his aunt, both Rivera and his twin have ADHD and may have been too excited with the dog, prompting the attack.
The brothers have been living with their aunt since their mother passed away from cancer a few months ago.
Joanna Rivera said she thought Aries was gentle, until she heard her nephew's screams.
"The dog started biting him, attacking him and jumping over him," said the boy's brother Julian Rivera. "I saw it, and I ran."
Aries was barricaded inside the apartment until ESU officers transported the dog out of the building.
The dog was sedated and taken to the ASPCA. The dog's condition is not yet known.
It is not clear whether or not anyone will be charged in connection with the attack.
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