A DeKalb County dog owner turned the animal over to authorities after it attacked a child walking to the school bus stop Tuesday morning.
Samuel English, 11, a Bethune Middle student, was bitten on his legs after the dog jumped a fence on McKenzie Drive, according to Channel 2 Action News.
"I was just saying, 'God, please don't let me die,’ " Samuel told the station.
Witnesses said the dog stopped when the owner's children enticed it with meat.
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Samuel was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Mother Chemedria Webb was shaken.
“Running from the dog, my son fell on the ground,” Webb said. “He fought him off and the dog got hold to his thigh, his right thigh.”
Animal control authorities said the 1-year-old dog had been loose twice before, the TV station reported.
Owner Timon Jefferson acknowledged the fence wasn’t strong enough for the dog, but said the animal is normally tied up. He surrendered the dog to authorities because “kids come first in my book.”
Animal control reportedly hopes to rehabilitate the dog rather than put it down.
Samuel, for his part, said he won’t be afraid of dogs even after the ordeal.
“I still love dogs,” he said. “Some people just gotta know how to control their dogs.”
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