A 13-year-old boy is recuperating at home after being attacked by his friends’ dog named Ace.

  • Teen attacked by dog while playing ball
  • The dog belonged to a friend
  • The boy was bitten at least 25 times 

On Thursday, the teenager was playing basketball with friends on St. Andrews Drive around 6 p.m. 

When one of the kids that lived in the home opened the door, Ace ran out and approached the 13-year-old, deputies said. The boy who’s familiar with the dog, bent over to caress the animal. However when the dog started growling, the teen tossed the ball to Ace thinking the dog wanted the ball and that’s when he was mauled.

The boy was bitten at least 25 times, his father Brian Keegan said. The boy’s hand is in need of reconstructive surgery.

According to Keegan, it’s going to take months for the teen to be back to normal. Also, since the dog owner failed to provide up-to-date rabies vaccine records, the teen is going through rabies injection treatment.

“On his right side there is a big chunk that was taken out,” Keegan said.  

Tod Goodyear from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office dug up the dogs past. In 2015, Ace bit for the first time then in 2017, he bit a person.

Shortly after the attack the owner surrender the dog to Animal Services and he is in quarantine. 

“This is something where the dog got lose and unfortunately it bit someone,” Goodyear said.

The dog owner will have to pay hundreds of dollars for 4 citations including not producing rabies vaccine documentation and for the dog biting someone causing severe injury.

If the dog is deemed dangerous, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office officials say, Ace might be euthanized.