Warren cops kill three dogs who attacked boy, newspaper carrier

WARREN — A boy waiting to catch the school bus was bitten on the head multiple times by one or more, large stray dogs roaming around Merriweather Street Northwest at about 8 a.m. today.

The boy was taken to the hospital, but his condition and the extent of his injuries were not known as of this morning.

The attack occurred about three hours after a 21-year-old Warren man delivering newspapers was bitten on the back of his legs nearby, apparently by the same group of three dogs that attacked the boy, police said.

Officers later used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill all three dogs at various locations on Merriweather.

The injured boy’s family members described the dogs to police, said Patrolman Reuben Shaw, who said officers had to kill the animals in part because they had attacked a child and in part to make sure they could be tested to determine whether they had rabies.

The largest of the dogs was a bull mastiff weighing more than 100 pounds, said John Onatz, animal control officer for the Warren Police Department. None of the three dogs had identification tags.

A dog weighing around 70 pounds appeared to be part pit bull terrier, and the third was a mixed breed, Onatz said.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com