Child hospitalized and dog killed after attack in Greenwood

A child was hospitalized after being attacked by a dog while visiting the home of a Greenwood family Saturday, according to police.

The dog has been killed, and Greenwood police arrested two people suspected of misleading police about what happened.

Greenwood police said they were called to the home in the 1100 block of Elm Street after a dog attacked an 18-month-old child. Officers drove the injured child and the child’s mother to a hospital in Lee’s Summit, according to Greenwood Police Chief Greg Hallgrimson.

Greenwood is in southern Jackson County.

Officers found that the dog, described by witnesses as a pit bull, had disappeared before officers arrived. Those officers were first told that the attack had occurred outside, and Greenwood police made public announcements about the search for a dog loose in the city.

But after questioning neighbors and witnesses, police learned the dog belonged to the residents of the home where the attack occurred.

Greenwood police personally verified that the dog was euthanized Sunday, according to Hallgrimson. The dog’s head was sent to Jefferson City to be tested for rabies.

Greenwood police arrested two people in the case on suspicion of assault and concealing evidence, according to a press release Monday from the Greenwood Police Department. The injured child was reported to be in stable condition.

No charges had been filed Monday.

This story was originally published July 27, 2015 at 8:31 PM with the headline "Child hospitalized and dog killed after attack in Greenwood."