HUDSON, Fla. — A Bay area family is asking for prayers from the community as their 2-year-old boy gets treated for critical injuries following a dog attack. 

It happened last Thursday in front of the family’s home in Hudson. The family said a neighbor’s dog escaped and viciously attacked the toddler.

Marlene Bernier is his grandmother and said Noah was outside playing with his little sister and his parents. While he was riding his bike, he was attacked.

“He was on his little bicycle, (the dog) took him right off the bicycle and mauled him to the ground,” Bernier said.

Bernier described the chaos and panic after the attack that she said should’ve never happened. 

“It was a surprise that he would come and bite a child,” she said. “The dog has had vicious behaviors before so, it should’ve not been able to happen. I believe that being a dog owner, all dog owners should protect their community, as well as their pet.”

Now Noah is fighting for his life. His injuries are more severe than his family could’ve imagined. 

“The dog had bit Noah on the head and it fractured his skull in two spots, both one on the left, one on the right. One of the fractures had broken off a centimeter into Noah’s brain. So they had to do brain surgery and remove part of Noah’s brain. It severed a nerve. They had to fix that. And then, it also got him in the neck,” Bernier said.

She said recovery has been tough.

“Right now, we’re having a lot of ups and downs,” she said. “They told us 72 hours after the brain surgery. They now upped that again to another 72 hours. He’s having it very rough right now.”

But with his parents and grandmother by his side, the energetic little boy is holding on, showing the kind of strength his entire family needs right now.  

“It’s very, very hard. A nightmare and I just want to wake up,” Bernier said. “And we know that at this point, that’s not going to happen until we’re at least out of the woods with the recovery progress. So right now, we’re just kind of at a standstill.”

Pasco County Sheriff’s officials say they are investigating the attack, and there is no word on what penalties the dog’s owner will face.

Spectrum Bay News 9 was told the dog was shot and killed by Noah’s father after the attack. As for Noah and his family, they’ve got a long road to recovery. Family friends are fundraising for them, but what they’re hoping for most is the community’s prayers for Noah.

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