1-year-old child attacked by two pit bulls in Salem
CONTENT WARNING: Images of injuries are shown and may be disturbing for some viewers.
Salem Toddler Severely Injured in Dog Attack, Recovering in Portland Hospital
SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) – A 1-year-old child in Salem is recovering in a Portland hospital after being attacked by two dogs, suffering serious head injuries and multiple bite wounds.
Merissa Corron said she was returning to her northeast Salem apartment with her two daughters, ages 3 and 16 months, after church on Sunday when a routine walk to their front door turned into a nightmare.
Corron said she heard two dogs inside her next-door neighbor’s apartment trying to get out. She believes one dog belongs to the neighbor, and the other to a family member. When her neighbor opened the door, the two pit bulls rushed out.
Corron said she pushed her eldest daughter to safety, but when she tried to grab her 1-year-old, Adalynn, the dogs attacked. For several minutes, Corron fought to free her child.
Adalynn suffered severe injuries, including a skull fracture, bite wounds to her lower abdomen, face, and back, and a large flap of skin torn from the back of her head. She was initially treated at Salem Health Emergency Department before being transferred to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, where she has already undergone one head surgery.
Corron said this was not the first time she had concerns about the neighbor’s dog, which she claims previously attacked her own dog and even bit her father-in-law. Property management had attempted to address her earlier complaints.
“I had told her this dog is going to get loose, and he’s going to either kill somebody’s child or scar them for life. I never thought it would be my kid,” Corron said. Witnesses told police they had seen prior incidents involving the dogs.
Following the attack, 53-year-old Melinda Walker, one of the dog owners, was cited for having a dog as a public nuisance and criminally charged with maintaining a dangerous dog and reckless endangerment. Both dogs were seized by police and taken to the Marion County Dog Shelter. Corron said Walker’s dog has been euthanized; the county has not yet confirmed this.
Corron described her neighbor as showing little concern during the attack. “She grabbed her dog but the only thing to say is, ‘Now my dog’s going to have to go to the pound.’ There was no concern whatsoever for my child,” she said. She later received a text apology.
Adalynn currently has a wound vac on her head but shows no brain damage. Her recovery will require additional surgery and years of monitoring. Despite the trauma, Corron said her daughter remains cheerful.
“She’s walking around and just laughing and smiling. As a mom, I never thought I’d see that again. I didn’t know if my baby would live,” Corron said. “If you have a violent dog like that, you need to take steps to prevent it from harming someone else.”
Corron is also exploring therapy for her eldest daughter, who witnessed the attack. An online fundraiser has been launched to support Adalynn’s medical needs.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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