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Five pit bulls maul 5-year-old boy in Scott Township

SCOTT TOWNSHIP, Pa — A 5-year-old boy is in Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital after five pit bulls mauled him Friday afternoon in Scott Township.

Cameron Batzel was playing with the five 75-pound pit bulls while his mother, Amber Lynne Bayer, said they were visiting a sick friend. She said her son made a small squeal, and suddenly, the dogs charged after both Bayer and her son.

“One bit him. Then, another one was biting him and he was screaming. I tried to force my way into the middle of all these dogs to put my body in front of my son,” said Bayer, who required stitches from bites she received from the dogs. “My two friends were kicking the dogs. Finally, [the dogs] let go.”

According to Bayer, her son has broken bones and gaping wounds on his head, arms and back that required 20 stitches in his neck, 10 in his face and plastic surgery.

Humane officers removed four of the five pit bulls Friday night that were allegedly involved in the attack.

Bayer said Batzel has been around the dogs before and does not know why they attacked.

“They were tame dogs, and they did the same thing that dog at the zoo did,” Bayer said.

Despite the injuries she and her son sustained, Bayer has no resentment toward her two friends, the dogs’ owners.

However, according to a township ordinance, only three pit bulls are allowed per residence.

"As soon as we walked in the living room, our dogs stopped. They weren't growling. They weren't barking.  I think they were just playing rough," said Chelsea McBeth, one of the dogs’ owners. "Our dogs have never ever harmed anybody. And we've went through so many precautions to train our dogs."

Police said the owners of the dogs could face charges and that the dogs will be quarantined for the next 10 days.