TAMPA - A family puppy, a chow and pit bullterrier mix, chewed four fingers off the paralyzed hand of a 6-year-old boy Monday as the child slept.
Dontavius Bryant, of 3507 E McBerry St. in Tampa, was still at St. Joseph's Hospital Tuesday, recovering from the injuries to his hand.
A neighbor said the boy and his family ate corndogs for dinner Sunday night, and like many youngsters, he may have forgotten to wash his hands before going to bed. The scent may have been what led the dog to chew on the child's fingers, said Diona Thomas, 35, a family friend who lives two doors down.
Police said while the boy slept, his family's puppy, a 51/2-week-old chow and pit bull mix, chewed four fingers off Dontavius' left hand.
Police said Dontavius, whose left hand was paralyzed from a hit-and-run accident last year, never felt a thing.
Dontavius' older brother, asleep next to him in the bed, woke up when he thought Dontavius had urinated in the bed. He turned on the lights.
"He saw blood all over the place," said Thomas.
Police said the puppy had chewed Dontavius' fingers down to his second knuckles.
Jerrolyn "Shawn" Dewberry, 27, rushed her son to St. Joseph's Hospital shortly after the 5 a.m. attack on Monday, police said. Dontavius remained at St. Joe's Tuesday night in good condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.
"He's talking and moving around," Thomas said after visiting Dontavius, called "Tay-Tay" by his family. "I guess it didn't hit him yet. He was (at the hospital) playing Nintendo."
She said Dontavius attends kindergarten at Potter Elementary School. Dewberry remained at St. Joseph's with her son Tuesday, Thomas said; she could not be reached for comment.
Hillsborough animal control euthanized the puppy and performed a necropsy, police said, finding parts of Dontavius' fingers inside the dog's stomach.
Police hadn't filed any charges in the case as of Tuesday night. They said the investigation is continuing.
In October 2002, the driver of a pickup hit Dontavius and drove away. The hit-and-run left Dontavius partially paralyzed, without any feeling in his left hand, police said.
Thomas said Dontavius' hand felt "real soft" because of the accident. .
Dontavius and his two older brothers had received the puppy as a gift from their aunt two to three weeks ago, Thomas said; they called the puppy "Chaka."
"I believe the dog didn't know what he was doing," Thomas said. "He was friendly. Everybody loved him."
