Pit Bull That Attacked Athens Child Remains in Quarantine

A little boy attacked and bitten by a pit bull over the weekend was taken to Egleston Children's Hospital. The dog was taken into custody and remains in quarantine at the Athens Clarke County animal shelter, according to a story in the Athens Banner Herald.

"The boy and his older brother were visiting the home of a family friend and had been playing with the homeowner's dog," said a press release from the Athens Clarke County Police. "As the two boys began to wrestle, suddenly the dog became excited and bit the eight year old multiple times causing very serious injuries." The brother wasn't harmed, police noted.

The five-year-old dog will be kept in isolation for 10 days, said animal control director Patrick Rives. He told the Banner Herald that the dog will be put down if it shows any neurological symptoms of rabies, which it hasn't yet.

Officials haven't decided whether to return the dog to its owner or issue a citation to the owner, the story says. Athens Clarke County Police haven't released the name of the child who was bitten. Without a name, Egleston couldn't say how the little boy is recovering.