La Center Police Chief Marc Denney has given his officers a strict directive to respond to any reports of stray dogs after one bit a 3-year-old boy Friday.
Clint Gerke said that his wife was on the porch and his son Clint Gerke Jr. was in the front yard of his house, 1104 W. Pacific Place, at about noon on Friday when it happened.
As the toddler turned the corner of the car parked in the driveway, he was attacked by a black Lab running loose, Gerke said.
His wife quickly called police, who responded and cornered the dog, Gerke said. The officer then called animal control, but before they got there the dog got away. Police searched the area but couldn’t locate the animal.
The boy suffered two bites on his face — along his left jawline and on his left cheek. He was taken by ambulance to Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel where he received about 60 stitches, Gerke said.
“He’s a 3-year-old and they’re resilient so he’s bouncing back,” Gerke said. “He’s just, understandably, afraid to go outside and is having nightmares.”
Gerke said his son is going back to the hospital later this week to see if his wound is infected and to possibly start undergoing rabies shots.
He and his wife, however, hope to find the dog first to find out if shots can be avoided. Gerke said he heard the series of shots are painful.
To find the loose dog, he and his wife have bombarded social media sites including Facebook and Nextdoor to see if anyone knows of the dog, which police and the family describe as an unneutered adult male black Lab with a red collar.
Hoping for tips
With La Center, a city of about 3,000 residents, Gerke said that someone has to know this dog and its owner.
“We’re just almost positive that whoever owned that dog is aware of what happened and is trying to avoid liability,” he said. “If this ever happens to someone else … we just don’t want them to have to go through that.”
Keeping the community safe is the same reason that La Center police are searching for the dog.
“Obviously, it’s a huge thing for our community,” Denney said. “I told my guys, ‘We need to do strict enforcement until the owners start doing the right thing.’ ”
The agency is asking anyone with information about the dog or his owner to call 311.
