A young teen is recovering after being attacked by two Australian Shepherds.
It happened on Morning Glory Circle in Bradenton. The dogs bit the boy and a neighbor rushed in to help.
Thirteen-year-old Justin Curtis was just trying to give the mailman a letter for his dad. It was an easy enough errand until two dogs came rushing toward him.
“I see two dogs just come barking and they were coming pretty fast and I knew I couldn’t out ride them so I just stood there hoping they were friendly,” said Curtis.
He soon learned the Australian Shepherds were not friendly as they began to bite into his flesh.
“I turned around to get him and the other one bit me and then I tried to run and they brought me to the ground. Then I got up and got the bike and just started screaming,” said Curtis.
With several empty lots and neighbors away for the holiday Curtis said there was nowhere for him to run. The only thing between him and the dogs was a bike. That is when a car stopped and offered him an escape.
“I got in the car and he just drove me home,” said Curtis who later learned the driver was a neighbor.
“I ran over to him and grabbed him - I saw his leg and really got upset. It was pretty bad,” said Justin’s dad, Jesse Curtis.
Justin’s mom, a nurse, knew her son needed to go to the Emergency Room.
“More than blood, I saw that the whole muscle on the back of his calf was exposed, so I knew we had to go get it taken care of,” said Buffy Curtis.
“I didn’t really feel it at all until I got in our car then I started to feel the pain,” recalled Justin Curtis.
After spending the wee hours of Christmas morning in the hospital, Justin was allowed to go home. The reality of what happened is only now setting in.
“He was able to handle the dogs pretty amazingly and thank God Bob came around and helped him. But, if it was someone else like one of these girls I don’t know what would have happened. You know, that’s the scary part.,” said Jesse Curtis.
The Curtis’ are just happy to have Justin home safe this Christmas.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says the two Australian Shepherds are in the custody of Animal Services. The owner of the dogs could not be reached for this story. However, the Curtis’ say the owner has reached out to them.