【Epoch Times News, December 23, 2024】Instances of vicious dog attacks are becoming increasingly common in mainland China. On the afternoon of December 21st, 4-year-old boy Zhang Yichuan from Huakou Village in Baqiao District, Xi’an, was attacked by two vicious dogs while playing near the village entrance. When family members rushed to the scene, the boy had already sustained serious bite wounds and is currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
According to Zhang Yichuan’s father as reported by Red Star News, on that afternoon around 3 pm, his youngest son Zhang Yichuan was playing with his older brother (9 years old) and other kids of similar age in the village. Suddenly, two dogs appeared out of nowhere and attacked Zhang Yichuan. The older brother rushed back home to call for their grandfather in panic. A passerby saw the situation and chased the dogs away. However, by that time, the child’s face was covered in blood, unconscious, and his clothes torn from the attack. The grandfather arrived and immediately dialed 120 for emergency assistance. Despite being taken to Tangdu Hospital, Xi’an Northern Hospital, and Xi’an Central Hospital in succession, the boy couldn’t be admitted until finally being accepted at Xi’an Children’s Hospital. Furthermore, due to the rabies vaccine only being available at Xi’an Central Hospital, they had to wait for a nurse to bring the vaccine, leading to the surgery starting past 8 pm and lasting until 6 am the next day.
Medical records indicate that Zhang Yichuan suffered severe bites on his head, face, neck, and right extremities from the dogs, with exposure of bone in some areas. The wounds included multiple lacerations on his head, face, neck, and right extremities, and he was unresponsive, with rapid breathing and unmeasurable blood pressure.
Despite undergoing surgery, Zhang Yichuan remained in critical condition in the ICU at Xi’an Children’s Hospital by the evening of the 22nd, with his life still in danger. His wounds require multiple stitches, and due to the inability to perform a CT scan on his head, the full extent of the damage is unknown. To add to the concerns, Zhang Yichuan developed a fever on the afternoon of the 22nd, requiring the use of antibiotics. If the fever persists, the next step might involve a blood transfusion.
Doctors have informed Zhang Yichuan’s father that his son’s facial disfigurement is irreversible, potentially leading to strabismus in his eyes and a crooked mouth. One ear was torn by the dog and required surgical treatment, but even after successful stitching, the ear might remain blocked. Moreover, the muscles on the right side of his neck were severely damaged and cannot be repaired by current medical means.
The father expressed that his son is currently struggling with a combination of rabies incubation, wound infection, shock, anemia, and blood loss, all of which pose life-threatening and uncontrollable factors. He is expected to remain in the ICU for the next week.
On the day of the incident, Zhang’s family promptly reported the attack to the police, but the Baqiao Police Station staff mentioned on the evening of the 22nd that they were still investigating the owners of the dogs.
The attack on the boy in Xi’an has once again ignited public concern about the issue of dog ownership. Many netizens commented, “It’s heartbreaking, stray dogs really need to be properly managed!” “Dog owners must have permits, with dogs required to wear government-issued tags when outside, heavy penalties should apply if found without leashes.” “If even dogs cannot be controlled?” “It’s not the dog’s fault, it’s the responsibility of the dog owner.” “Improper dog ownership is indeed detestable, safety first.”
Some questioned, “If the Central Hospital could accommodate the case, why couldn’t Tangdu Hospital? Wasn’t Tangdu Hospital supposed to be more capable than the Central Hospital?”
Vicious dog attacks are becoming a frequent occurrence in mainland China. Just last month, a mother and daughter in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, were surrounded and attacked by four large dogs in a park, with the mother’s life briefly at risk and the girl traumatized to the point of being unable to return to kindergarten.
(Extended Coverage: Mother and Daughter Attacked by 4 Large Dogs in Park, Family Struggles for Justice)