quynton

Quynton Curry was badly injured in a Jersey City dog attack. (Photo from fundraising flyer.)

JERSEY CITY -- An 8-year-old boy was brutally attacked by a dog that bit his ear off while he played in the backyard of an Ocean Avenue home.

Quynton Curry has been recovering from the April 5 attack at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, and now his family is trying to raise money to help with his medical expenses.

Police say a 30-year-old woman tied the pitbull to a gate of her Van Nostrand Avenue at about 7 p.m. on the day of the attack while she brought groceries inside the house. The boy was playing with a group of children in the backyard of an adjacent Ocean Avenue home, according to a police report.

The dog broke loose from his chain and charged after the children, who were "running back and forth playing." The other children were able to get away from the dog, but it grabbed Quynton by the ear, the report states.

The owner said she ran over to separate the dog from Quynton, but the dog had already bitten off his ear. The 30-year-old grabbed the dog, but it broke free and attacked Quynton again, biting into his right thigh and calf. The detached ear was placed on ice after the attack, police said.

Quynton was brought to Jersey City Medical Center for treatment, but was later transferred to St. Barnabas, his family said.

Two GoFundMe pages have been set up to help the family with medical and other expenses while Quynton recovers. He still faces multiple surgeries and may still need a prosthetic ear.

"Our family again is overwhelmed with emotions right now," one of the fundraising pages reads.

Quynton is described as a "bright kid with an amazing heart and spirit."

Along with the GoFundMe pages, the boy's mother said the family is planning a fundraiser for Saturday afternoon at 2216 Kennedy Blvd., which includes face painting, music, and food from 1 to 6 p.m.

The boy is home now, but still goes to treatment twice a day at the Livingston hospital, his mom Allison Rodriguez said. His friends and teachers have come to visit him while he recovers at home.

"His spirits are high for the most part," she said.

In the coming days, doctors are expected to determine if Quynton will need a prosthetic ear. He may also need to see specialists in New York, his mother said.

Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the owner of the dog voluntarily had the dog euthanized after the attack. Police said she was issued a summons for not having the dog licensed.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.