Toddler In Hospital After Dog Attack
By Jill King Greenwood, Tampa Tribune
LITHIA, September 6, 2003 - A 21-month-old boy was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital on Friday afternoon after being mauled by a dog.
Matthew Martin suffered severe bites to his face, neck and chest when the 70-pound husky-shepherd mix attacked him about 2 p.m., Hillsborough County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Novak said.
Matthew was expected to be released late Friday, hospital officials say.
Novak said Matthew, who lives with his mother in Jacksonville, was visiting relatives at 4429 Rose St. His grandfather was watching him, but Matthew got away and went into the back yard, Novak said. The dog was chained, but that didn't prevent it from attacking, he said.
Tom Green, spokesman for the Hillsborough County Animal Services Division, said the agency took the black-and- white, male dog into custody and will investigate the attack. Green said investigators will decide whether to file criminal charges and whether the dog will be euthanized.
The dog is about 4 years old, was not wearing a tag and was not registered with the county, Green said.
Novak said the dog's owner is Larry Zeman, who lives at the Rose Street address. People who gathered in front of the house Friday declined to comment.
``Children have a tendency to come right up to the face of an animal, and oftentimes a dog will view that eye contact as a threat or a challenge,'' Green said.
