Sikander, of Manhattan Avenue, suffered multiple bites to his head, arm and knee after the dogs ran into the backyard of his home, where he was playing with other children, and attacked him. The other children managed to flee to safety before the attack, said Abdul Sikander, the boy’s father. Six children ran into his home and one hid in the bushes near Nida-ul Islam Mosque.
Abdul Sikander, who is an Imam of the mosque, said that at first he did not realize his son was still outside.
"The children kept saying ‘dog, dog, dog,’ and I thought they were talking about a small dog that I see near the mosque, and I told them not to worry," Abdul Sikander said.
But when he opened his back door, he saw his son lying on the ground between two large white pit bulls that were mauling him.
"I ran out to save him. God gave me strength," said Abdul Sikander, who fell several times while rescuing his son. He injured his leg, but was not bitten.
The boy, however, suffered three bites to his head, and his right arm was bitten so severely that the bone fractured.
Police responded to a 9-1-1 call and Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Abaidullah Sikander to Hackensack University Medical Center.
His condition was reportedly good April 29 after a second surgery, which repaired the broken bone. He was discharged May 1, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Abdul Sikander said the dogs appeared to have entered his property from a township owned lot between two backyards. He said he had not seen the dogs previously and did not know who owned them.
Teaneck Police searched the area, which borders Englewood, and observed two white pit bulls. Samson Onumonu, of Amsterdam Avenue, told police that the dogs belong to his uncle, Wilbert McKnight, of Washington Avenue in Englewood. McKnight acknowledged to police that the dogs were his and said that he may have left his gate unlocked, allowing the dogs to escape his yard.
McKnight was unable to provide licenses for the dogs or dates of their last rabies shots.
The dogs were quarantined at the Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro and McKnight was issued two summonses by police for allowing dogs to run at large. A court appearance is scheduled in Teaneck Municipal Court May 7.
According to Teaneck Police Lt. Keith Richter, in January a Selvage Avenue resident reported two pit bulls in her driveway at 6:15 a.m. The dogs were traced to McKnight, who was given a warning. Richter estimated that the dogs had traveled almost a mile from McKnight’s home to reach Selvage Avenue.
Englewood Health Officer, Nelson Xavier Cruz, said that the dogs are unlicensed and that the city has no record that they were vaccinated against rabies.
"[McKnight] alleges that one dog is vaccinated, but we have no documentation. I have to assume they are unvaccinated," Cruz said.
Bergen County spokesperson Mabel Aragon confirmed that the dogs are under observation at the animal shelter and would continue to be observed for at least 10 days. If the dogs show signs of rabies they would be put down and anyone who came in contact with them would undergo prophylactic treatment for rabies.
If the dogs prove to be healthy, their fate is uncertain.
"If we get a dog that had bitten someone, it could be destroyed if it were deemed by the animal behaviorist to be unsuitable for adoption," said Aragon. "But this is a unique situation because the dogs have an owner. Our role is to hold onto the dogs and monitor them."
Jerry Drasheff, one of the members of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps who responded to the call, said that the scene was under control when he arrived.
"The father was there. The child was calm and did not appear to be upset, but he complained of a lot of pain in his arm, especially when we cleaned the wounds."
The bites to the head appeared to be superficial, Drasheff said. The most serious injury was to the arm, where the strength of the dog’s jaw seemed to have fractured the bone.
McKnight could not be reached for comment.
E-mail: Howard Prosnitz at prosnitz@northjerjersey.com
