MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) – Eric Harnum recounted the terrifying moments that took place on Lake Avenue in Manchester, New Hampshire Wednesday afternoon.
He says he jumped into action to save an 8-year-old boy who was being mauled by a dog.
“I saw the kid come over the fence and the dog [grabbed] him,” said Harnum. “The dog was doing his job, protecting his property, but he was mauling that child to death.”
“It was heartbreaking, it was so sad,” said Rebecca Meattey, who ran over to console the boy.
Harnum says he was on his porch and the young boy was plying in the park with friends, when a ball went into the yard next door.
Harnum says the boy climbed over the fence to retrieve the ball and that’s when the dog attacked.
“I just ran down the stairs, by the time I got here there was a kid running that way and he said the dog’s got him,” said Matthew Buchan, who lives nearby and was also bit.
Buchan ran in the gate to save the boy and was bit across the arm, stomach, and leg.
“There was two, it was a Pitbull and a Rottweiler,” said Harnum. “The Pitbull was attacking the gentleman, and the Rottweiler was mauling that kid to death.”
Harnum says there were two dogs in the yard and he used a shovel to beat both of them, including the second one who was biting another man.
“I came around and grabbed a shovel, I kicked the gate open and I beat the dog over the head with the shovel to get him off the kid,” said Harnum. “I told people to grab him when I got the dogs off. The dogs came after me, but I had the shovel and I swatted them over the head.”
Other neighbors moved quickly to help separate the boy from the dogs and console him.
“I ran, and I jumped the gate, and pulled out the kid,” said Cesar Ventura.
“His arm was ripped up pretty bad, he was, had so much blood on him,” said Meattey.
Officials say the boy was rushed to the hospital with what are being described as significant injuries. Buchan was also taken to the hospital.
The dogs are currently in the custody of animal control.
“I did the right thing,” said Harnum. “I’d do it for any kid. It’s obscene just to think about it.”
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