9-Year-Old Boy Suffered Severe Injuries After Getting Mauled by Two Dogs, Biting Him 75 Times

A 9-year-old child was attacked by two dogs while playing on a trampoline at a friend's house, resulting in terrible wounds all over his body.

Hunter's Attack

According to a GoFundMe campaign set up to help collect money for the family's medical needs, the incident occurred in October in White Lake Township, Michigan. The youngster, Hunter Heater, sustained "severe lacerations and cuts" inches from major arteries.

The dogs bit him 75 times throughout his torso, just avoiding his jugular vein and windpipe. Fortunately, the youngster was treated quickly and taken to the hospital by paramedics.

"It's a vision I'll never forget," the boy's mother, Rachel Heater, told WJBK. "His skin was just hanging, and you could see his skull and his artery in his neck."

Medical personnel stabilized the youngster and began treating his wounds once he arrived at the hospital.

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Recovery and Trauma

The kid required 200 stitches on his arms, face, legs, and neck, as well as more than 40 staples in his skull, during six hours of surgery.

Surgeons had to reattach muscles in his leg and arm, and he suffered many skull fractures in the temporal bone behind his left ear, according to the GoFundMe page.

"His favorite color used to be red; he can't look at red. He can't eat hot dogs, which were his favorite, because it reminds him of the dogs eating him," his mother told WJBK.

The family's medical expenditures are growing, according to WJBK, and they have to pay for everything out of pocket. So far, the GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $9,600, with a $10,000 target set.

"The medical bills are enormous at this moment, and the family and Hunter need your support," the organizers stated. "All donations go straight to Hunter's medical expenses and recuperation."

Dog Attacks in the US

In the United States alone, there are more than 52,000,000 dogs. A dog is kept as a pet in around one-third of all households. It should come as no surprise that there are so many dog attacks each year, given how many dogs share our lives and living space. According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control (CDC), roughly 800,000 dog bites necessitate medical treatment each year. Even more incredible is the fact that 334,000 of them are severe enough to require hospitalization.

Children account for more than half of all dog bite victims. While just 12% of adults require medical attention, 26% of all youngsters require a trip to the emergency department or a visit to the doctor. The victim's house is the most likely location for the attack to take place. The victim's friend's house is the second most likely location. Seventy-seven percent of biting dogs belong to a member of the victim's family, a relative, or an acquaintance.

According to the CDC, dog bites are a bigger health issue for kids than measles, mumps, and whooping cough combined. They're more prevalent than bike accidents, playground injuries, moped, skateboard, or ATV incidents. Each year, the expense of treating dog bites exceeds a billion dollars. Boys between the ages of 5 and 9 are the most prevalent victims, while youngsters, in general, are commonly bitten in the face, neck, and head.