An 8-year-old boy is recovering from injuries after he was attacked by a Labrador retriever Tuesday at a home in Apple Valley that was operating an unlicensed daycare.
“He was bit in the face, the chest, the back, the arm,” Michelle Aranda said of the attack on her son, Connor.
After the attack, Connor was flown by helicopter to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he had to undergo surgery for his extensive injuries.
“I asked them how many stitches. They said a lot,” Aranda told KTLA. “They just kind of intertwine. There are stitches inside of his mouth, on the top, on the top lip. His chest had a 5-inch laceration that was about a quarter inch deep.”
Aranda said she had trusted the daycare operator to keep her son safe.
“Yeah, I trusted her, trusted that he was safe there, that all my kids were safe there. So, I’m definitely really upset and hurt that this happened to him,” she said.
KTLA spoke with the daycare operator by telephone. She confirmed the attack and said the dog was removed from the home by San Bernardino Animal Care and Control and will be euthanized.
A check of the state’s Department of Social Services shows the daycare license application for the home is pending.
Connor’s mom said it is difficult to see her son in pain, and even more heartbreaking to think about the emotional trauma he has suffered.
“He’s just so sad,” Aranda said. “He doesn’t want to do anything or even get out of bed.”
At this point, the daycare operator is not facing charges. Animal Care and Control is investigating.
Aranda said that Connor is facing a long recovery and, likely, more surgeries in the future. She is now considering legal action over the attack.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for medical expenses.
