Family dog whisked away before Modesto police officers reach home where baby was bitten

A baby boy was bitten by a pet dog in a west Modesto home Monday night, and police said they believe a family member removed the animal from the scene before officers arrived.

The incident occurred around 8:15 p.m. in the 300 block of Ash Street, Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said. A 1-year-old was sitting on the floor at his mother’s feet while she was on the couch. The dog was on the floor next to the boy.

The mother told officers the child began to cry, she looked down and saw the bite on his left cheek, Bear said. The dog reportedly hadn’t growled or barked.

Based on the report the victim was a baby, responders initially requested a helicopter. Responders found the child with a deep laceration on his left cheek. But when medics arrived, they evaluated the wound and determined ground ambulance was the best way to take the baby to an emergency room, Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Ryan Winton said.

“The mom reported the child pulls on the dog a lot and she suspects the dog reacted to the child pulling or tugging on it,” Bear told The Bee.

The dog had been removed from the home before law enforcement arrived. Animal control officers were working to locate the dog Tuesday morning and hoping the family is cooperative, Bear said.

The dog is unlicensed, she said, and no vaccine records are on file.

The dog owner could face charges with failure to quarantine the dog, which is a misdemeanor, Bear said. Under the Modesto Municipal Code, the owner also could be cited for obstructing an animal control officer.

This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 12:13 PM.