Toddler whose face was torn up in dog attack is back home

A 22-month-old Riverside County boy is recovering at home Monday after a Labrador-mix dog lunged at him and tore at his face at a neighborhood park.

Kaidyn Sutton suffered nerve damage to his face but was released from a hospital Sunday, his mother, Michaela Sutton, said on Facebook. A photo on her account from after the attack shows the child’s bloodied face.

Kaidyn was at Primrose Park in the unincorporated neighborhood of French Valley with his mother and her friend at about 3 p.m. Friday when a loose dog suddenly attacked him, said John Welsh, spokesman for the Riverside County Animal Services.

The dog bit him and tore chunks of skin, damaging his nerves.

His mother’s friend was able to pull him away from the dog, and they headed for the nearest hospital. The boy reportedly underwent two hours of surgery over the weekend at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital.

“All he keeps doing is crying and saying ‘dog, dog, dog,’ ” his mother wrote on Facebook. “It makes me sad.”

Meanwhile, animal control officers searched for the dog, which they found at a home on Starkey Court in French Valley. The 6-year-old animal, named Dexter, was impounded, and its fate is still unclear.

A hearing will be held in the next 30 days to determine if the dog will be returned to its owner or possibly euthanized. The animal is licensed and has no history of violence in Riverside County, Welsh said.

Kaidyn’s family is collecting funds to help pay for several more surgeries.

For breaking news throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA. She can be reached at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.