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The boy's mother was also injured by the dog while trying to help free her son.
CBS 6 has learned this isn't the mom's first incident involving dogs that have attacked.
Amsterdam Police say the 4-year-old pit bull attacked the child while a total of nine children were home.
Eric Pantalone lives nearby.
"It's got to be terrifying, I'm sure the kid will never feel safe around dogs ever again," Pantalone said.
Police say the little boy suffered severe injuries to his throat when the dog lunged at him in the back yard, pinning him down.
The mom lost part of her pinky finger and was bitten on the shoulder trying to save him. We're told the dog has been caged in the back yard ever since the attack.
The mother injured in the attack is 27-year-old Jasmine Tirado.
Thursday, Amsterdam Police confirmed she's the same Jasmine Tirado who served 19 days in jail back in 2012 after her three pit bulls got loose and mauled a 58-year-old woman on Hulett Street in Schenectady, ripping off parts of her face and ears.
In that case, Tirado plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of harboring dangerous dogs, and the dogs were put down.
Sgt. Tom DiCaprio says it's still unknown why the dog in this new case became aggressive.
"We're still investigating the incident at this point," DiCaprio said.
Sgt. DiCaprio says police chose not to shoot this dog on scene because it wasn't acting aggressively when officers arrived, and says state law advises authorities quarantine animals for 10 days after a bite.
"Quarantine for rabies and things like that," DiCaprio said.
Police say the Montgomery County Public Health Department and Amsterdam Animal Control allowed the quarantine to happen at Tirado's home because the yard has two enclosures.
After what happened, neighbors we spoke to say for them, it's too close.
"God forbid if the dog got out and hurt someone else," Pantalone said.
Police say some of Tirado's nine children, who were home at the time of the attack, are in the foster system.
They say the child injured last night is her natural born child.
We're told Child Protective Services came by the house Thursday to look into the dog attack.
Reader Comments
I think the mutt is her natural born!
Seems the only way to ban owning a pit bull in NYS is if one attacks or kills a politician. What's ironic is the same state politicos that make stupid redundant laws over a single death somehow avoids the pit bull issue completely. Must be the same worthless politicians that passed a law allowing pet owners to bring your dog to a restaurant.
I boycott any establishment which allows people bringing pets along. Leave your dog home.