A 7-year-old Fort Lupton boy is recovering from injuries he received over the weekend when he was attacked by a dog.
Jesse Shaffer was playing football on Saturday afternoon with neighborhood children in a backyard in the 900 block of Stage Drive when he was severely bitten in the face by a 3-year-old chow mix, said Fort Lupton Police Chief Ron Grannis.
Shaffer was flown by helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Aurora, where he underwent emergency surgery on his face and head.
The dog, named Oso, is being held for observation by a by a local veterinarian, Grannis said.
The owners of the dog, who were not identified, were cited for not having a dog license, not having rabies shots for Oso and for having an animal that created a danger, Grannis said.
The dog’s owners are being cooperative in the investigation, Grannis said.
“They are very concerned about the little boy,” he said.
The children had been playing in the yard, with the dog there, for hours, Grannis said. The football went behind a shed at about 5:30 p.m., and when Jesse went to get it, the attack occurred out of eyesight of witnesses.
“We don’t know what spurred the dog to suddenly bite,” Grannis said.
Jesse was back home Sunday, and he visited with Grannis on Monday, the chief said.
The Shaffer family could not be reached for comment.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
