One of our top stories this morning involves a couple of dogs attacking a 5-year-old Tulsa boy.

Cody Phillips, 17, was cleaning the garage when he heard his mother scream, "They're attacking him."

"Him" was a 5-year-old boy who had wandered into a neighbor's yard.

Phillips, a Union High School student, rushed to the child's aid, scaring the dogs away.

"He's a hero," said Sgt. Jeff Davis.

Tulsa police responded to a dog-bite call in the 3700 block of 142nd East Ave. at 4 p.m., Davis said.

The boy, whose identity wasn't released, sustained multiple bites on his head and legs, officers said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital in good condition, Davis said.

Apparently, the boy, who lives two homes from Phillips, climbed over a 6-foot fence and into an adjacent yard where the two dogs were, police said.

Officers shot and killed one of the dogs, Davis said.

(Tulsa World)

Anyone with small children will concur that you cannot possibly keep your eyes on your children continuously.

At first report, this appears to be a horrible accident.

Was it avoidable?

Absolutely.

Most accidents are, in fact, avoidable.

Yet, sometimes accidents happen.

The Tulsa World points out:

However, authorities said the owners could potentially be cited if animal control officers discover that the dogs have a history of being vicious.

Keeping so-called "vicious" dogs, with a proven history of danger, in a residential neighborhood would not at all be acceptable in any neighborhood.

By all information currently available, these two dogs were not roaming the neighborhood free to terrorize children. Instead, they were safely secured behind 6-foot tall fencing.

Many people keep dogs for the exact reason we've learned here - to protect the homeowners from intruders who would dare scale their 6-foot fences.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, the intruder this time was not a thug seeking to harm, but a curious little child.

This child and his family will be in my prayers and I will utilize this event as a learning opportunity with my children - to strike a balance with regards to respecting dogs and property

Incidentally, while criminal charges may or may not be an option, a civil suit will certainly be entertained.