Video: Boy hospitalized after pit bull attack

Larger screen

SEATTLE – A 6-year-old boy is now in satisfactory condition at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center after being mauled by a pit bull in Moses Lake.

Family members say Alex Medina was playing in his grandmother’s back yard when the dog named Fresno pushed through the fence. Alex turned to run and the dog pounced, biting his face, ears and scalp. His mother and neighbors fought the dog off.

Alex’s injuries were so severe, he was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center.

Alex's aunt, Alissa Gonzales, told the Columbia Basin Herald that doctors reattached the boy's nose and ears.

"They estimate it will be about a month. He'll need a lot of things done and a lot of future surgeries,” said Gonzales.

Othello Richards / KREM.com

The pit bull suspected of attacking a Moses Lake child

The dog is now quarantined.

Workers at the Grant County Animal Shelter say the seven-year-old, 130 pound dog is one of the largest they’ve ever seen.

“He’s a very unpredictable dog. He can be fine one moment and the next moment, he’s wanting out of that kennel to go after whether it be a dog in another kennel or a staff member,” said shelter worker Mary Deheriea.

The dog was not licensed and the owner had no record the dog had rabies vaccinations.

"It's difficult, especially with a small child like that,” said Chief Dean Mitchell, Moses Lake Police. “The community is concerned and we’re looking into it and the investigation is ongoing.

Police have already decided the dog should be put down and plan to file charges against the owner.