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East Bay Boy Mauled By Pit Bulls Undergoing 2nd Surgery

ANTIOCH (CBS SF) -- A 10-year-old Martinez boy who was mauled by a pair of pit bulls in Antioch over the weekend is undergoing surgery this afternoon at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, according the boy's mother.

Hunter Kilbourn was visiting a friend at a home next-door to his relatives' house in the 2000 block of Reseda Way around noon on Sunday when the attack occurred, his mother, 33-year-old Melody Ralls of Martinez, said.

The 10-year-old was walking up the stairs when one of the homeowner's two pit bulls lunged at him, knocked him to the ground and started biting him, Ralls said.

As he lay on the ground, the second pit bull also joined in on the attack, which only stopped after Hunter's friend, who is about the same age, pulled the dogs off of him and was bit on the arm himself, she said.

"When I ran down, I just saw him laying on the ground," Ralls said.

Ralls said her son suffered multiple lacerations to his head, face and arms and had one of his ears partially torn off in the mauling.

He was airlifted to the hospital. Doctors were able to re-attach the severed part of his ear during an initial surgery on Sunday night.

Both dogs involved in the attack were picked up by Antioch Animal Services and are being quarantined, Ralls said.

She said that while in the hospital, her son has battled a fever and infection and doctors are trying to determine whether nerve damage caused by the attack will leave him paralyzed on the right upper side of his face.

The experience has left her wary of other people's dogs, said Ralls, who also has two younger children.

"I'm going to be extra cautious of ever letting anyone's dog be around them," she said.

Ralls said the homeowner whose dogs attacked Hunter had always kept his pit bulls outside during previous visits.

She said she believes both dogs should be euthanized to prevent future attacks.

Meanwhile, Ralls said she and her family members have been overwhelmed by kind emails, cards and flowers from community members.

In some cases, people have called to share their own stories of surviving a dog attack.

"It's amazing that people are reaching out to us like that and to know we're not alone," she said.

Donations to help cover Hunter's medical expenses can be made to the Hunter Kilbourn Recovery Fund at any Wells Fargo bank or via PayPal to 4hunterk@gmail.com.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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