GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's been more than a week since a nine-year-old was attacked by a dog at a park in Grand Rapids. While he continues to heal, his mother wants the dog's owner to be found and punished.
It happened while Rosalyn Morgan was at a Super Bowl party. Her son, Desean Bass, was playing at the park at River City Scholars Charter Academy with his cousins.
"His cousin came in the house saying he'd been bitten by a dog," said Morgan.
That dog bit Desean in his face, tearing into part of his nose.
"The dog, I guess, was eyeing him and when he went by him, he attacked Desean," said Morgan.
She said that the dog was brought to the park by a group of children and that Desean initially tried to stay away after feeling that the dog was agitated.
"I was scared," said Desean. "I asked the kids for help when he was biting me."
When his mom got to the park, she couldn't bear to see him covered in blood.
"My heart dropped. I was hoping it was just like a little small thing," said Morgan.
Rushed to the hospital, doctors were only able to give him a few stitches.
"They said that his nose has to heal just so they can see, like, the damage that the dog did," said Morgan.
What comes next will be costly.
"He's gonna probably have at least two to three surgeries throughout his life," said Morgan.
She started a GoFundMe page to ask for help with costs.
As for the dog's owner, the Kent County Sheriff's Office released photos from the day of the attack, showing who appears to be the dog's owner walking it away from the park on a leash.
Morgan wants the owner to turn themselves in to be prosecuted.
"For not even sticking around to see if he was okay," she said.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office is asking for help from the public. If you know anything, you're asked to contact either Kent County Animal Control at (616) 632-6100 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.
If you would like to donate to Morgan's GoFundMe, click here.
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