Passersby armed themselves with everything they could to defend themselves from two pitbull mixes that were bringing a child to the brink of death.
A recent court filing revealed the heartbreaking detail as the fate of 3-year-old Covil Allen from Minnesota is virtually sealed.
The court document also revealed that the dogs were not pure pit bulls, but a mix between a pit bull and an American bulldog.
This breed of dog, known as the American Bully, has especially powerful jaws that inflict more damage than any other breed.
This likely proved fatal for Covil, who remains in critical condition. His family has made the difficult decision to donate his organs as they decide to take him off life support, as they said he is not expected to survive. His mother was also injured during the July 19 attack but will recover.
Three-year-old Covil Lee and his father are seen before the attack that left him on life support.
A recent court filing revealed the harrowing details as the Minnesota teen’s fate is all but sealed.
“There were adults in the area who began defending the three-year-old child by using hammers and pickaxes to get the dogs off of the three-year-old child,” the filing says after the incident on N. Brooklyn Park Drive.
First responders arrived and provided immediate medical attention to the child, the file added, describing how he was subsequently taken by ambulance to a hospital with “critical” injuries.
Police Inspector Elliot Faust went on to write that the dogs were not only American thugs, but of the “XL variety.”
He noted that “this breed is banned in the UK” even though it is not officially recognised as a specific breed.
They are described as having “a muscular body and square head,” bred to sometimes stand an astonishing 23 inches tall, compared to the 17 to 20 inches of a “classic” bully.
They were banned in England and Wales in 1991, and similar guidelines are being drawn up in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
NHS consultant Richard Baker later said dogs’ powerful jaws inflicted more damaging injuries than any other, regularly resulting in broken bones, torn skin and damaged nerves.
That was the case for Covil and her mother Tasha Vega last week, when they visited a home in the 7500 block of N. Brooklyn Park Drive where the dogs were for sale.
It was also revealed that the dogs were a mix between a pitbull and an American bulldog, known as an American Bully. In addition, the dogs were of the XL variety, the largest in existence.
In the attack, the two dogs brutally attacked the boy and his mother until onlookers were able to kill one of the dogs and injure the other. The dog that survived was taken to an animal care center, where it was later euthanized.
One of them attacked Covil in the backyard, after which a second joined in, police said.
Faust went on to reveal how discussions were already underway with city leaders about the attack, writing: “It is an issue in our community.
“We had more potentially dangerous dogs this year than last year.”
His comments appeared to reference how on Tuesday, a 7-year-old girl was attacked in the 7500 block of N. Janelle Avenue, just a few miles away.
The girl suffered superficial injuries, according to police, who added that officers killed the dog when it tried to attack a child.
Authorities said the dog was loose when it attacked the girl, as was the case in the attack on Covil.
The video showed the two dogs savagely attacking the boy and his mother until onlookers managed to kill one of the dogs and injure the other. The dog that survived was taken to an animal care center, where it was later euthanized.
As for Covil, he remains in critical condition and his family revealed on Wednesday that they had begun the painful process of preparing to donate the boy’s organs.
As for Covil, he remains in critical condition. His family revealed on Wednesday that they had begun the painful process of preparing to donate the boy’s organs. According to the family’s latest update on Friday, he was still alive.
They shared a heartbreaking image of family members’ hands on the boy’s body in his hospital bed, where he remained connected to a series of tubes on the verge of death.
Her mother has had two surgeries and is on the way to a third to repair her calf, and will also need a skin graft.
In the meantime, Faust said, detectives are working to present a case to prosecutors “in the near future for review,” along with this week’s other dog bite incident.
The boy’s family has already said goodbye, as they plan to donate his organs in the coming days, when his life support is disconnected.
They said doctors determined his injuries were too severe for him to survive.
According to the family’s latest update on Friday, he was still alive.
TO GoFundMe The family-started project has so far raised $46,261 of its $50,000 goal.
“This will honor Covil’s life and save the lives of more children in the hope that no other parents will have to endure the pain they are experiencing now,” the organizers wrote.
Sharing a series of photos of the little one, they added on Friday: “You are so loved Covil.”