Man who saved 1-year-old during dog attack: I did what I had to do

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The good news is the little boy attacked in a dog mauling Tuesday is recovering at Detroit Children's Hospital of Michigan.

The man who intervened is back home and relieved the boy will be okay, but his injuries are severe.

"As far as my injuries go, my arm is killing me so I guess I'm going to be a couple months with this," Johnell Harris said. "But I can look past that, as long as my little man was good."

Johnell Harris is on the road to recovery after intervening in the dog attack. It happened on Rosemont just south of Eight mile on Detroit's west side.  The target was his friend's one-year-old grandson.

"I got the baby and I tripped backwards and I fell, and I hit the ground first then little K hit the ground," Harris said. "The dog immediately started getting at him - at his back, the back of his head. I started busting the dog in the ribs, so hard."

Harris says the dog then turned on him after it turned Kareem loose. He was rushed to children's hospital where he underwent surgery. He had a chipped bone in his neck and got stitches on the back of his head. Harris was also taken to the hospital. 
 
"My left arm, I'm moving it, it's going to take a couple months to get it back together," Harris said.

The investigation is ongoing but the Detroit Fire Department believes the dog slipped its chain and escaped its backyard before the attack.

One of the dog's owners, who was eventually able to restrain the pit bull ended Tuesday's mauling, spoke with FOX 2.

"My dog is licensed and we don't fight dogs," the man said. "He has all his shots, everything."

FOX 2: "Why do you think he got out?"

That, he would not answer.

"However it happened ... it happened, and we are so sorry it happened," said Tomaya Young a cousin of the dog owner.

Little Kareem is still in the hospital but expected to recover thanks in large part to Johnell Harris' intervention. 

"God put me in that position and I did what I had to do no matter what the circumstances or the outcome would've been," Harris said.

There is no word if the owner will face charges, animal control still has the dog in their possession.

Neighbors have told FOX 2 they have seen the dog get loose on numerous occasions threatening them.

Johnell Harris saved little Kareem during the dog attack.

The family that owns the dog says it is not aggressive.