A toddler and his father have been left bandaged and bruised after they were bitten by an unleashed dog at a public park close to their home in Miami.
The father, Edward, said his child was left with teeth marks on his face from the dog attack Monday as he explained that he found himself fighting off a larger dog at Margaret Pace Park.
The dog bit Edward in the hand as he tried it fend it off and shield his son from danger.
“I have to protect my son. He bit me on the hand right there. We’re not talking about the conventional pet dog, it’s a Belgian Malinois,” said the father.
A picture of the dog was taken shortly after the incident, when the father alleged the animal bit him and his son.
Little Santino has stitches on his face and three total puncture wounds to his head according to Edward, who only wants to use his first name.
“There’s so much blood, you try to assess where he’s bleeding from,” Edward said.
You must have a dog on a leash if you want to bring it to Margaret Pace Park, which is why police and Miami-Dade Animal Services officials came out to enforce that rule.
If you don’t want to have your dog on a leash, you can be in an enclosed dog park.
7News cameras rolled as police handed out $165 citations to those who didn’t leash their dogs.
It’s a law that applies to all of Miami-Dade County.
“We’re out here reinforcing and enforcing now with citations on the leash ordinance,” said Miami-Dade Animal Services official Leonal Romero.
“This is a very unfortunate incident,” said Julian Randolf, an attorney representing the family.
Santino and Edward were treated for their injuries at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
A police report has been filed.
The father told 7News that the dog was quickly taken away from the park by its owner.
The attorney representing the family said they’re exploring their legal options at this time.
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