Child, father left seriously injured after dog attack in Canandaigua

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A dog attack in Canandaigua left a father and his son seriously injured Thursday morning.

According to police, the 43-year-old Rochester man and his 10-year-old son were walking on South Main Street when a pit bull ran up from behind them and attacked the boy. When the father tried to stop the dog, it attacked him.

Police said the child, with severe cuts to his back, ran into a nearby business. The attack on the father continued until a group of bystanders wrestled the dog off him.

The father suffered significant cuts and disfigurement along his back and arms, according to police. Investigators said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

One of the bystanders was also injured in their hand while struggling to get the dog under control.

Investigators determined the dog has been involved in multiple complaints recently for running free and not being properly licensed.

On Aug. 12, police said the dog attacked and injured a three-year-old child who was playing on Chapin Street. On Aug. 19, the dog was again seen roaming the neighborhood, at which point the owners were issued a summons by the Canandaigua Police Department.

The dog is being held at Happy Tails Animal Shelter in Ontario County. A decision on how to proceed with the animal has not yet been made.

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