Article Photo: Kyle Showers, 9, sits at a kitchen table Monday in his Trumbull Court home as he talks about being attacked by a dog. He said the dog jumped its fence and bit him on the the throat Friday night. A person at the neighboring home said the dog was provoked.Story from Tribune Chronicle - May 13th, 2008
NEWTON FALLS — The family of a boy who says a neighborhood dog bit him on the throat is calling for the animal to be put down.

The family said Kyle Showers, 9, was walking home from a friend’s house Friday night past a dog pen at 84 Trumbull Court when Bear, a 2-year-old German shepherd-Rottweiler mix, attacked.

‘‘The dog jumped the fence and grabbed my face,’’ Kyle said Monday, scratching around the edges of a bandage on his neck.

Donna Shetterly, the dog’s owner, was cited by police. She and another woman said that Bear is up to date on vaccination shots, but they could not provide the papers to police, according to a police report.

Shetterly said she was in court Monday morning, but declined further comment. The Newton Falls Municipal Court Web site was not updated with the case information and a message seeking more information was left with court staff Monday.

While Kyle was being interviewed outside his home Monday, a man in a T-shirt came out of the neighboring house, leading Bear around by the collar. He yelled that Kyle hit the fence with his coat.

Kyle’s mother, Karen Showers, yelled back from her driveway that Kyle wasn’t wearing a coat that day. Kyle claimed he did not touch the fence.

According to the police report, the dog was ordered to be quarantined and to be on a leash when it had to go outside. The police contacted the Trumbull County Health Department about the bite.

Karen Showers said Kyle was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital and needed nine stitches for wounds to his neck, one of which was about 3 inches long. His parents say Kyle is taking antibiotics for the infection.

‘‘He has an infection in his jaw,’’ father Robert Showers said. ‘‘They say they had rabies shots, but they don’t have documents or anything. So we don’t know what to do.’’

Karen Showers said later that the family wanted an apology, for the dog to be put down and that they were considering legal action against Bear’s owners. They said the dog had a history of being a nuisance.

Robert Showers said his son does not want the dog put down, but wants its teeth taken out.