Family pit bull euthanized after ripping off toddler’s ear

A family’s pit bull has been euthanized after biting off a toddler’s ear in Riverside County.

The pit bull was put down Wednesday afternoon, hours after the 18-month-old Jurupa Valley boy was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center to be treated for his injury.

An update on the boy’s condition was not immediately available.

The 2-year-old male pit bull named Poncho did not show any signs of aggression when approached by animal control officers, said John Welsh, spokesman for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

He said the dog was docile.

But after the attack, the boy’s mother signed paperwork ordering the pit bull to be euthanized.

The toddler was supposed to be taking a nap, but instead wandered into his backyard at about 7:45 a.m., where he was attacked by the pit bull.

The boy’s left ear was ripped off.

As the boy cried for help, neighbors gathered baseball bats and headed to the boy’s home on Pontiac Avenue.

Animal control officers arrived to find the neighbors still holding baseball bats.

The boy’s grandmother Alejandra Martinez told KTLA that Poncho was not an aggressive dog, adding that he was a “good dog” and “never bit nobody.”

She said the family plans to monitor the children more closely.

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