Exclusive: Dog attacks Long Island girl, father; Owner takes off

ByKristin Thorne WABC logo

Monday, May 17, 2021

Exclusive: Girl, father attacked by dog; owner takes off

Kristin Thorne reports the dog attacked a 7-year-old girl and bit her dad, leaving a gaping wound in his leg.

NORTH BABYLON, Long Island (WABC) -- A North Babylon man is looking for the owner of a pit bull who took off after the dog attacked his 7-year-old daughter and bit him, leaving a gaping wound in his leg.

"It's kind of scary this dog being out there, aggressive," Christine Pinto said.

Pinto told Eyewitness News reporter Kristin Thorne in an exclusive interview that last Thursday, a white pit bull attacked him and his daughter as they were on Barnum Street in North Babylon right across from Belmont Elementary School.

His daughter was practicing riding her bike when they passed the dog who was on a leash. The owner of the dog was with two small children.

Pinto heard the owner of the dog yell, that's when the dog had broken loose from the owner's grip.

He said the dog tackled his daughter, tossed her to the ground and began to circle her.

ALSO READ | Dozens of rescued puppies arrive on Long Island

Dozens of rescued puppies arrived Saturday on Long Island.

Pinto swooped in and picked up his daughter, which is when he said the dog bit him in the upper right thigh.

"I didn't notice I was bleeding at first. Adrenaline was high," he said.

Pinto said the owner of the dog struggled to get ahold of the leash, but once he did, he asked Pinto if the dog bit him. Pinto told him, yes.

"He said, 'I'm going to put the dog away. I'll be right back,'" Pinto recounted.

He said the man walked toward Monarch Avenue, turned the corner, got into a black truck and left. He did not come back.

"Just leaving says really, says a lot about his character," Pinto said.

He says two witnesses called police and Pinto was brought to the hospital via ambulance.

The doctors told Pinto they typically do not do stitches for animal bites because they don't want to lock in the animal's saliva, but Pinto's wounds were so severe they had no choice. Pinto also has to get a series of rabies shots.

Pinto said his daughter has scrapes on her legs from being pushed off her bike, but it's the emotional injuries that are most severe.

"She's very traumatized. She doesn't want to go back on her bike. She doesn't even want to go outside anymore," he said.

Pinto filed a police report. If you know the owner of the dog, call Suffolk Police.

ALSO READ | Rescue dog wins hearts with gorgeous smile