Hunter Callender: Michigan boy, 5, suffers severe facial injuries after being mauled by pit bulls
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN: A five-year-old boy has been left with horrifying injuries after two pit bulls attacked him on May 12. Hunter Callender was reportedly playing with his younger sibling outside his grandmother’s house in Grand Rapids when a neighbor's pets jumped out of the car and mauled him savagely, which resulted in broken bones and multiple spine-chilling cuts on the child's face, neck, and head.
The boy had undergone several surgeries after the attack. His mother Ashley White spoke with WZZM-TV and said: “It's been a lot. It's definitely a rough road here,” as she continued: “He's been pretty down. He's pretty traumatized by the whole event. He doesn't know what to think. I mean, he's only five and that's quite an event to go through.”
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She told the television station: “His surgery went good. They got the eye socket bone put back together along with his jaw. After that surgery, they actually had to wire his jaw shut. So, he's supposed to have a feeding tube in and he actually ripped it out. So, now we're trying to figure out how we can get him food because he hasn't ate since we've been here.”
It has been reported that Hunter will need more operations to remove the wires in his jaw and to fix his double vision. He is currently receiving treatment at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and the doctors there believe that the little one “will need braces, implants or dentures because of damage to his immature adult teeth.”
White added: “My son's had good spirit in phases. Now he's came around for a little while, but other than that, he's just not the same. And we're just really ready for him to get to recovering and coming back to a normal kid that can go outside and play like he loves to do.”
Expressing his sorrow, Hunter’s father Andrew Callender told The Daily News, “We are only still at the beginning of his long road. We are taking it very hard, along with the whole family. We would like people to realize the extent of how serious something like this can be and how much suffering our son is going to go through for years to come."
Meanwhile, it has been said that the animals behind the horrendous assault were euthanized. Montcalm County Animal Control Director Autumn Pumford said, “The health department gave us clearance to euthanize them before the 10 days. Anytime a dog breaks skin, the health department wants them quarantined for 10 days to watch for signs and symptoms of rabies. The health department said due to the severity of the boy’s injuries, to just euthanize them. The dog owner surrendered them willingly and paid for the euthanasia.”
The owner of the canines is also reportedly facing charges after the incident. The person has been pressed with two criminal charges of dangerous animal (a possible four-year felony). They will reportedly present themselves before Montcalm County District Court next week for arraignment.
Though there is no financial help from the dogs’ owner to Hunter’s family, a person named Tia Spannagel has started a GoFundMe for them. The message on the fundraiser, which aims to raise $20,000, says, “The family is asking for support in any way that you can. Your donation to this family of five will help take the financial strain out of paying medical bills that will pile up quickly and time missed from work. Please keep Hunter and his family in your prayers. I will continue to update you with information as it comes to me. Thank You!”