Pit bull is euthanized after mauling 11-year-old boy

The pit bull came to live with the family a month ago when its owner brought it to them, hoping in time this dog’s aggression would be tamed.

And for that month, the boys in the Aviles family, 11 and 12, fell in love the dog that their father, a professional dog trainer had been working with. But now the dog is dead and the boys hospitalized after the dog turned on them — mauling the face of the 11-year-old, and biting the 12-year-old as well as the boys’ mother, Coral Springs police say.

No one saw this coming, said Officer Chris Swinson, a spokesman for the Coral Springs Police Department. “This was the first bad interaction they had with the dog,” he said.

The dog was euthanized after the owner who surrendered it to the family for training found out about Friday’s attack. The boys had come to love the dog so much they were hoping that they could keep it and not have it go to another family, Swinson said.

“It’s a tough situation for everybody,” said Swinson.

What triggered the dog to first attack the 11-year-old is unknown. His facial injuries were extensive and he was taken by air ambulance to Broward Health Medical Center. What is known, is how deftly the older brother, all of 12, jumped into action. After being attacked himself, the 12-year-old raced to grab a knife plunging it into the dog to save his family.

That in itself stuns Swinson who said he is not a fan of pit bulls. He said many adults would struggle to find the courage to risk their own well-being to do the same as the child did.

“It is incredibly brave and I know the boys loved the dog,” Swinson said.

Swinson did not know the boys’ medical conditions Monday, but said as of Sunday, both still were in the hospital. The mother was treated and released Friday.

The family has been running a dog training program called Green to Alpha K9 since 2018, according to a profile on Yelp. The website for the business says Carlos Aviles first started working with dogs in 2000 when he was a military police K9 handler. It says Aviles also was a training instructor and kennel mas

ter. The business specializes in dogs with behavior issues as well as new pet owners.

Both the website as well as the Yelp posting say Aviles volunteers his time with dogs in need of homes.

The city of Coral Springs confirmed the home is owned by the Aviles family. Aviles couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.

Though in his Yelp profile, Aviles said this: “I know each animal is different, and I’ll work with yours to give them the specific guidance they need. Whether you’re thinking about getting a puppy, have a new dog, or already own a dog with behavioral problems, I am here to help.”

When dogs attack they are to be quarantined for 10 days to determine if the animal is rabid. David Walesky, the executive director of the Florida Animal Control Association, said it is still important to see if this particular dog was rabid. And so in cases where a dog is put down as opposed to quarantine, generally speaking, a specimen of the dog’s brain should be sent to a state lab for testing.

Walesky called the attack tragic and said it is also very unfortunate for the pit bull breed.

Pit bulls have been a lightning rod for decades.

On one side are those who want to outright ban people from owning them — such as what MiamiDade has done decades ago — or regulate them — such as the city of Sunrise.

And on the other side are a faithful allegiance of pit bulls lovers who say it’s the human who makes the dog bad, not genetics. As of 1990 in Florida, no longer can Florida governments outright ban dogs by a specific breed, though homeowner associations still may.

“There were a million pit bulls that did not hurt anyone yesterday,” Walesky said.

He said animals, just as humans, all have individual personalities and behaviors.