Conner Landers walks the short distance from the bus stop to his home every afternoon. But last month, he was attacked by his neighbor’s dog.
AZLE, Texas — A 7-year-old Parker County boy is recovering after his neighbor’s dog attacked him while he was walking home from the school bus stop.
Conner Landers walks the short distance from the bus stop to his home every afternoon. On Jan. 21, Landers’ mom said he was attacked by their neighbor’s dog.
“Tore up his jacket and his backpack,” Cassandra Ware said. “He was wearing a white T-shirt that was completely drenched in blood.”
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office described the dog as a “brown and black brindle boxer/bullmastiff mixed-breed” that “escaped his fenced yard and attacked Conner for unknown reasons.”
Lorena Parker lives next door to Ware. Parker told WFAA she saw the dog standing over Landers and “shaking him.”
That’s when she grabbed a stick.
“I caught him and started beating on the dog. And then (the dog) drug (Landers) all the way (down the street),” Parker said.
Parker fought off the dog and managed to pull Landers to safety.
“He just kept saying, ‘The dog used me as a chew toy, Mommy,’” said Ware.
The dog owner, identified as Patti Jean Bell-Neveling, 49, was arrested Monday on a third-degree felony charge of attack by dog resulting in serious bodily injury warrant.
“The fenced enclosure was inadequate. The dogs had gotten out before. The homeowner knew or should have known the fence was inadequate and made steps to try to rectify that. And that was not done,” said Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier.
To help Landers feel safer, nonprofit Servolution Network, The Home Depot, Trinity River Fence & Construction, and other agencies spent five hours building a fence around Landers’ backyard Saturday.
Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Supervisor Karen Kessler set up an account for the 7-year-old at Plains Capital Bank 1001 Santa Fe Drive in Weatherford to help pay for medical bills and continued treatment. Anyone who wants to donate to the “Conner Landers Benefit Account” should call Plain Capital at 817-598-5400.
Parker was awarded $500 from fundraising efforts by Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officers.
