Crime

'It Was Like a Nightmare': Ky. Boy, 8, Recovering After Akita Attack that Required 300 Stitches

Kyson Rhorer is making "a little bit of progress every day," according to his mother

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Published on June 1, 2022 01:32 PM

An 8-year-old boy in Kentucky is on the mend after he was reportedly mauled by a neighbor's dog.

Speaking to WAVE-TV, Kyson Rhorer's mom, Desiré Rhorer, said her son was playing outdoors with a friend in their Louisville, Ky., neighborhood, when they went into the friend's backyard to retrieve a bicycle. That's when Kyson was attacked by an Akita.

"It was terrible, I mean, it was like a nightmare. I've never seen anything like that before," Desiré told the station of the May 23 incident.

Kyson was rushed to a local hospital, where he underwent multiple hours of surgery and required 300 stitches and a "drain to be installed in his head," according to the family's GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical costs.

After a 3-day hospital stint, Desiré said Kyson was released, but his road to healing will take longer, and will include both physical and mental rehabilitation.

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Still, the boy is reportedly looking forward to getting back outdoors to play.

"Kids are so resilient and he is definitely determined to make a full recovery to hopefully soak up some of his summer break," the fundraiser description read.

"A little bit of progress every day," Desiré said, per WAVE. "He's very determined to get back to playing outside and playing football, he plays football every year."

Following the attack, the neighbor's dog was required to undergo a 10-day quarantine to check for rabies, according to the outlet. After that, the family said it hopes the canine will be re-homed.

"We will have to take it before a judge to see what the plan of action is from here," Desiré said. "But we would like that. It's unsettling a little that the dog is still here."