Boy, 7, Bitten by Pit Bull During Walk on Beach

A 7-year-old boy was in fair condition Sunday after being attacked by pit bull dogs on a stretch of Imperial Beach where dogs are not allowed, authorities said.

Leonard Lee Ganpara was walking with his father just west of the 00 block of Admiralty Way around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when a couple in the area unleashed a pair of pit bulls and allowed the dogs to run, said Sgt. Kate Nolan, a spokeswoman with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The 5-year-old male dog attacked the Ganpara boy, biting him in the right rib area and back, Nolan said. He was taken to Children’s Hospital by ambulance and later underwent minor surgery.

“We had to close deep, penetrating dog bite wounds to his back and stomach,” said Mark Morelli, a spokesman for the hospital. “The wounds to his back were the most severe. He’s now in the surgical ward, and (Sunday) morning, his father said he was resting comfortably.”

There was no word Sunday on whether the owners of the dogs were cited or arrested.