A 15-month-old boy is being treated at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin after police say he was attacked by the family's pitbull dog.
Caledonia police were called at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday for a call of a severe animal bite. When officers arrived, they found a 15-month-old child with serious injuries, including facial tears, puncture wounds and missing teeth.
CAPD Lt. Gary Larsen said the boy may have been sitting on the floor eating a cookie and when the dog tried to take the cookie out of the child's mouth, it turned into an attack.
"This is one of the most serious dog bite cases I've seen," he said. "It's very severe."
Jacqueline Ziminski is the dog's owner, and she said she is heartbroken about the incident. She said she was living alone with her two dogs, the other animal is a Keeshond, until last week when her son, his girlfriend - whom Ziminski said is a dog trainer - and the toddler moved in with her.
The baby is not her son's child, but he does have a son who is often over for visits and played regularly with the injured boy. The dog's name is Mary Jane, and she is eight years old.
"We just don't know why this happened. The dog has been fine," she told Patch Thursday afternoon. "She was just walking around the other day wagging her tail and kissing the babies."
Caledonia rescue crews transported the boy first to Wheaton Franciscan St. Mary's and the toddler was then taken to Children's for treatment. Ziminski said she was told before she left the hospital Thursday morning that the little boy was scheduled for surgery at noon.
"I'm just so sorry this happened to (the baby)," she said. "He's such a good little boy."
CAPD wrote in a press release that Ziminski told police the dog has exhibited aggressive behavior in the past. Police records have a bite report from 2009 that details the dog giving Ziminski a bite that required stitches, but she disputed that when Patch spoke with her.
"I've had MJ since she was six-weeks old," Ziminski said. "She nipped me once when she was in heat, but there haven't been any problems since she's been fixed."
Ziminski surrendered the dog to the Wisconsin Humane Society for it to be euthanized.
"She was so good for the longest time and now I have to lose her and that little boy is hurt like he is," she cried. "I'm just so, so sorry this happened."
Wisconsin Humane Society spokesperson Angela Speed said when an owner surrenders a dog to be euthanized because of biting, it is standard procedure to keep the dog quarantined for 10 days to be sure the dog doesn't have rabies.
Thursday is a special vaccine clinic day at the Humane Society's Racine campus so a representative there was not available.
Patch will continue to update this story as details become available.
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