Court Filing: ‘Hammers and Pick Axes’ Tried To Stave Off Dog Attack That Killed 3-Year-Old
Nearly two weeks after 3-year-old Covil Allen was attacked by two dogs in Brooklyn Park, police are sharing new details about what happened.
“They had come over to the residence to look at puppies,” said Inspector Elliot Faust of the Brooklyn Park Police Department. “And there was a litter of puppies that had been born at that residence, and these folks had come over and were looking at puppies, and that’s when the attack happened.”
The attack happened on the 7500 block of Brooklyn Park Drive on July 19.
A search warrant says people in the area armed themselves with hammers and pick axes to try to help the toddler before officers arrived and shot the animals.
Police now describe the dogs as XL American Bullies, a cross between an American bulldog and a pit bull terrier.
Police say an American bully is the breed responsible for the dog attack on Covil Allen.
“They’re bred specifically for the size, and they call them XL. They come in different varieties and that’s what the variety is,” said Faust. “So there is worldwide concern over that particular breed. People can research that and become educated on their own, but there is worldwide concern with some of the characteristics of that breed.”
Regardless of the dog breed, police say there have been 31 reported animal bites in Brooklyn Park so far this year, which is down from a high of 50 in 2021.
Faust wants all pet owners to understand that owning a pet is a huge responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“Understand what kind of training and what kind of attention is going to be necessary, and make sure that you are fully comfortable with what that responsibility is going to look like going forward,” Faust said.
Meanwhile, according to the online fundraising website, GoFundMe, Allen’s heart was donated to a 1-year-old girl. The family joined members of the Brooklyn Park Police Department Monday night at HCMC for an “honor walk” to acknowledge the organ donation.
Related: Second Dog Attack in Brooklyn Park Highlights Pit Bull Dangers
