"This thing was just possessed ... It just flat out wanted the baby"
The boy had turned one just two days ago. He was being pushed in a pram by his grandmother at the time of the attack.
Passing motorist Damian Hall says he saw the dog half inside the pram when he stopped to assist. At first he used a wrench from his vehicle to attempt to beat the dog away but he said the "thing was just possessed ... it just flat out wanted the baby".
He then attempted to remove the dog himself and was assisted by a second man named Michael. Together they managed to distract the dog long enough for the grandmother to drive away.
Superintendant Graham Kent said after the attack, "It's pretty scary that these dogs are in our community".
Michael said Mr Hall deserved a medal for his bravery. "He strangled it with his bare hands. Unbelievable."
Local year 11 student Jess Bretherton says she saw the dog in her yard just an hour before the attack, took photos and alerted her father who alerted authorities. Nobody attended until after the attack. The teen said that they had previously trapped the same dog in their back yard and had authorities remove it.
A council spokesperson confirmed the dog was microchipped and registered as a "bull terrier cross".
Authorities reported the boy suffered face and neck injuries. The boy's grandmother suffered bites to both arms. Another woman was attacked and suffered injuries to her shoulder.
Prepared using report "Dog mauls tot, good Samaritan in attack in Melbourne's west", news.com.au 18/11/11, http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/dog-mauls-tot-good-samaritan-in-burnside-attack-in-melbournes-west/story-e6frfkp9-1226197871647, accessed 18/11/11. Photo from the source article where it is attributed to Jess Bretherton.
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