Edmonton mom wants mastiff put down after attack on son, 5

An Edmonton mother is demanding the city put down a neighbour's dog after it attacked her five-year-old son tearing his ear, nose and mouth.

Kayleb Dulaurier was playing tag with his friends Tuesday when the neighbour's bull mastiff approached the children from the neighbour's unfenced yard near Northgate Mall.

The dog pinned Kayleb to the ground.

"If his friend didn't grab him, he probably would havehad a lot worse," said his mother Carla Galeano.

"I just petted the dog when he went near me," Kayleb said. "He hurted me."

Galeano was horrified.

"I heard the screaming," she said. "He was completely terrified. His shirt was completely covered in blood."

Galeano took her son to the hospital and reported the attack to bylaw officials.

The owner was charged with dog attack causing injury, the most serious offence under the city's dog bylaws.

The dog's owner faces a $500 fine and having the dog designated as a restricted dog,which means it wouldhave to be muzzled and leashed when in public. It would alsohave to be kept indoors or muzzled and chained in its owner's yard and unable to get within two metres of the property line.

The dog was also placed under a 10-day quarantine in the home to ensure it doesn't have rabies.

But Galeano says the dog should be put down.

"It attacked a child and I'm pretty sure it's going to do it again. The yard isn't even fenced. There's no 'Beware of Dog' signs, nothing."

The neighbour has not spoken to Galeano about the attack.

The attack was the first time she had seen the dog, she said.

"I didn't even know there was a dog there at all."

Galeano said her son is so traumatized by the attack, he wakes up in the middle of the night and is scared of the family's own dogs two pit bulls.

Galeano has started a petition drive to gather signatures to try to get the dog put down.

The owner of the dog could not be reached for reaction.