On Feb. 2 in Aniak, two dogs attacked and bit a child. The child received medical care in Aniak and no criminal charges were filed.
According to Alaska State Troopers, a child was visiting a friend’s house when their loose dog attacked him. The troopers said that the dog then dragged the child over to where another dog was tied up, and both dogs bit the child. Troopers confirmed that the child had multiple bite wounds.
Troopers confirmed that the child received medical care in Aniak and was released the same day. A spokesperson for the troopers said that federal HIPAA and juvenile privacy laws prevented him from disclosing the child’s age or further medical details.
Trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel said that the troopers can’t euthanize loose dogs, and that no criminal charges have been filed at the time.
“It's really important to note that there's really no state criminal statute that makes it illegal for a dog to bite another person unless a person was to directly give a dog an attack order,” said McDaniel.
However, the trooper spokesperson said that municipalities can make and enforce their own laws about loose dogs.
Interim Mayor of Aniak Dave Cannon, who also sits on the KYUK board of directors, told KYUK that he could not comment on the attack at this time. He later posted to Facebook, saying that the loose dog was “no longer a concern.” He said that the city will deal with the other dog at a later date.
Loose dogs attacking children in the Y-K Delta is not unheard of. Last year loose dogs attacked a 3 year old in Chevak who was medevaced to Anchorage for treatment. According to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, there were 982 reported dog bites in the Y-K Delta between 2007 and 2017.
