A young Oklahoma child suffered horrific injuries after he was mauled by a pit bull that tore his arm off completely, according to reports.
Axel Foster, 4, was rushed to hospital after a pit bull tore his arm off from just below the shoulder at his grandparents' Tecumseh home on Friday night, according to NBC-affiliated station KFOR.
When police arrived at the home, they found Axel was missing his right arm and moved to apply a tourniquet from his vest. Firefighters also arrived and helped the officers.
Tecumseh Police Department Chief JR Kidney told the network: "I've seen dog bites in the past and experienced pretty brutal dog bites with children but never a complete amputation."
He later added: "When officers and animal control attempted to retrieve the arm, the dog became aggressive to them."
Chief Kidney said the dog who had torn Axel's arm off had ultimately been shot and killed.
Officer Aaron McCormick said in a police report seen by KFOR: "The child's arm was still in the pen. I could see the arm inside, and one of the puppies was trying to chew on it."
Axel's grandmother told police he had put his arm inside a pen where there were several dogs inside in the hope of petting some puppies, according to the station.
His mother, Destiny McDow told KFOR that Axel was taken to the OU Medical Center in the hope of having his arm reattached.
She added: "We raced to the hospital. When we got there, the nurses confirmed his arm was dismembered from his body.
"I don't know what he's going through. I never went through it. But he's only a child. What if he doesn't make it through."
Chief Kidney told the network: "To be over just an innocent type thing of wanting to pat some puppies, it's just devastating."
Police Investigation
Officers and the Department of Human Services are now trying to determine if Axel was under adult supervision at the time of the attack.
Chief Kidney told KFOR his grandparents could face child neglect charges if Axel was found to have been unsupervised.
In a statement sent to Newsweek, Kidney said: "We do not have his updated condition. At this time it appears to be an accident. We are waiting for DHS to finish its investigation. The boy was staying with his grandparents and went to try to pet the puppies."
In a GoFundMe page, McDow said her son had undergone surgeries in an attempt to reattach his arm.
It said: "He has undergone two surgeries and is still fighting not only to keep his arm but his life. I am asking for help to save my baby boy's life."
As of Tuesday morning, the page had received $110 out of a $5,500 goal.
Update 12/14/21, 9:27 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from Tecumseh Police Department Chief JR Kidney.
