CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - Two Coral Springs brothers who were taken to the hospital after they were attacked by a pit bull their family was fostering are on the road to recovery.
A picture posted online earlier this week shows the boys, ages 11 and 12, smiling while giving a thumbs up. In their hands, they’re holding a drawing with the words, “Thank you Coral Springs Police SVU!”
One of the siblings has a gash underneath his right eye, which is swollen shut, and his arm is wrapped up.
His brother’s head is bandaged as well.
Thursday night, officials said the dog involved in the attack has since been euthanized.
Coral Springs Police said the incident unfolded inside the boys’ home along Northwest 106th Avenue, Friday.
Detectives said the dog lunged at the 11-year-old, biting him in the face.
Police said his 12-year-old brother jumped in to help and was bitten in the back of the head.
When their mother tried to intervene, investigators said, she suffered injuries to her arms and hand.
Police said the attack ended when the older brother grabbed a knife and stabbed the dog in the back.
The boy then ran to a neighbor’s home to get help.
“He did have, like, a little bit of a gouge on the back of his neck, but that’s it,” said the neighbor.
The 11-year-old victim was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center as a trauma alert, and his brother was transported by ground.
Both boys have since been released from the hospital.
Speaking to reporters hours after the incident, Coral Springs Police officer Chris Swinson praised the older boy’s courageous, quick-thinking actions.
“It’s incredibly brave for a 12-year-old, I mean, to instinctively worry about protecting his 11-year-old brother, something that’s going to be with them for the rest of their lives, and it’s heartbreaking,” said Swinson.
The dog has since been euthanized.
A GoFundMe page has been created for the family to help with expenses. If you would like to make a donation, click here.
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