SOUTH ROCKWOOD, Mich. – A brutal dog attack took a Metro Detroit family by surprise Friday.
A 7-year-old boy was badly bitten by a dog at the Huron River Mobile Home Park and is now being treated for a possible rabies exposure.
Ben is a strong boy with a long road ahead of him as he recovers from the dog attack. The dog wasn’t captured, leaving the family unable to find its vet records.
Ben said he’s still sore and in pain from the attack.
“I heard him screaming and I saw his face was red and I started screaming help,” recalled his sister, Abigail Zeestraten.
His sisters, Zooey and Abigail, saw the violent attack Friday afternoon. It’s believe a long haired black and brown German Shepherd attacked the boy, biting the inside of his thigh before taking off.
“I was coming to help him but I was terrified and trying and run,” Abigail Zeestraten said.
Related: Man injured after dog attack in Southgate neighborhood
Their mother, Saundra Zeestraten was at work at the time. She said they were walking to a friend’s house to play when it happened.
His mother had to witness Ben’s recovery and since the dog is still on the loose, Ben has to get a multitude of painful shots to make sure he doesn’t catch rabies.
“They all had to go into muscle and as you can see, he doesn’t have too much,” Saundra Zeestraten said. “They were limited in where they could give him the shots.”
It took four nurses and two doctors to makes sure Ben received his injections Saturday.
His mother is just thankful her son is still alive and on the fast track to overcoming the injury. One thing is certain -- playtime will never be the same for the family or the community.
“This is a small park. Everybody knows everybody and now I get panic attacks if I can’t hear them,” Saundra Zeestraten said.
Ben has three more shots to go, but he’s more concerned about the dog coming back. If you see the animal, do not approach it. Call 911 and authorities will get in contact with animal control.
More: Downriver news