Rescued dog attacks 4-year-old Waikato boy who was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries

She said Arlo was mauled by the dog for two minutes, despite numerous efforts by family members to save him.

Photos provided by the boy’s family show the heavily bandaged and bloody child with deep cuts and stab wounds to his face from the attack.

“It was my other five children who saved my baby… they are quite traumatized as well.”

Cassidy ran into the room after hearing her children screaming and seeing what she described as a “murder scene.”

“I thought my baby had no face. There was only blood everywhere.

The terrified mother grabbed Arlo, who was drifting in and out of consciousness, and ran to her car, taking him to Gisborne Hospital while he was on the phone to St. John.

“He tried to drift off, but I kept talking to him and he made soft, creaking sounds.

The couple arrived at the hospital around 10 p.m., where staff immediately attended to Arlo to stabilize his condition.

“They wanted to take him straight to Hamilton but it was too foggy so we stayed in Gisborne until about 10am the next morning and then we were flown to Waikato Hospital,” Ms Cassidy said.

As a result of his injury, Arlo underwent surgery on Saturday and again on Wednesday afternoon.

Cassidy said he suffered multiple stab wounds to his face and foot, fractures to his face, leg and skull, and a broken nose.

His face had to be stitched and he still can’t open one eye.

“His condition is stable, but every day the doctors come to me and bring me more and more bad news,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy said Herald On Tuesday, doctors became concerned about his neck and performed an X-ray to discover what may have been a fracture. He underwent surgery on Wednesday for a more accurate diagnosis.

A Waikato DHB spokesman said Herald Arlo remains in a stable condition at Waikato Hospital.

As of Wednesday evening, a Givealittle fundraiser for Arlo and his family had raised more than $3,100.

“The dog threw him like a rag doll. He had no chance against a very large dog, even though his father, uncle and 15-year-old brother were there right away,” we read on the website.

“He is now recovering, but the road will be very long. The family needs support to get through this.”

Cassidy said Herald the money will be used to seek help from counselors for her five other children who witnessed the attack, as well as for Arlo’s future.

“He will have to undergo therapy and numerous visits to check his hearing, eyesight and his broken leg in order to try to walk on it again.”

Cassidy said she has been in the hospital since Saturday and managed to sleep just two hours a night.

“To be honest, I’m not very good at the moment.

“I am overwhelmed and still trying to process everything that is happening and what has happened.”

Cassidy said she spoke to Arlo, but he didn’t say much after the attack.

“I know he’ll have to go back to the theater in about a week to have some stitches removed, but at the moment I think everyone is just taking it day by day.”

Extended family members flew to Hamilton from Wellington to support the family.

“(My other children) don’t take it very well,” she said.

Cassidy said the family’s other dog tried to save Arlo by trying to tear the rescued dog away from him and bite him.

The rescue dog was allegedly taken from an address in Gisborne an hour after Friday’s attack and euthanized on Monday.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter covering breaking news. He worked for Herald from 2022.