Young man mauled in the face by dog while raising money for D.A.R.E.

A young man was mauled in the face by a dog while raising money for an anti-drug abuse program outside an Eagle Rock sandwich shop, and now his family is asking for help finding the dog’s owners.

The attack occurred Thursday evening outside Jersey Mike’s at 2601 Colorado Blvd., near the Glendale border, KTLA reports.

The victim’s father, Brian Alli, shared graphic photos of his son’s wounds on Facebook, saying the dog attacked unprovoked. He son Ian is a dog lover who ended up in surgery, Alli wrote.

“My son is now hospitalized and will need plastic surgery tonight and into the morning,” Alli wrote about 9 p.m. Thursday.

“The one thing we need is to get the word out and get the owner and the dog to help him by coming forward,” Alli wrote later in the night. “They need to test the dog and obviously, get it off the street.”

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Alli’s son said two women in their 20s had the dog, but another witness told police it was a man.

Los Angeles Police Department Officer Aareon Jefferson told KTLA a call came in at 6:55 p.m. Thursday for a report of a dog bite. The victim had been soliciting money for the drug abuse prevention program D.A.R.E. when the dog owner gave him $10 and left.

About two hours later, the dog owner returned with a pit bull on a leash, Jefferson said. The victim asked if the dog was friendly, and the owner assented.

Then the victim got down on one knee and touched the dog, which bit him in the face, Jefferson said.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, and officer canvassed the area but didn’t find the dog owner, the officer said.

Animal control services were notified, according to Jefferson.

Ian Alli is stable, his father said Thursday night. He was expected to have his first operation Friday morning.

An emergency technician who was eating at the sandwich shop came to his son’s aid, Brian Alli said.

The family is waiting on surveillance video, he said Friday morning.

Pamer is a senior digital news producer for KTLA.