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A one-year old baby was severely injured after being bitten by a pit bull in Manhattan on December 22, 2025, leading to an uproar on social media. Thankfully, bystanders were able to intervene quickly, but the child was left with severe lacerations that were described as a “hole” in its leg. The child was rushed to the hospital, and is thankfully in stable condition.
Bystanders Step in When the Owner Fails to Stop The Attack
One of the major points of criticism was the owner’s response to the attack, which consisted of them ineffectively pulling on the leash and later taking the dog to a nearby bus stop after the dog, a two year-old pit bull named Disco Bubba, had already been chased off. As such, it fell to bystanders to intervene, with one choosing to kick the animal, another putting it in a headlock, and a third grabbing its genitals.
The child’s mother, meanwhile, quickly called 911 for police and an ambulance, although ultimately no criminal charges were filed against the dog’s owner. The dog, on the other hand, may be facing euthanasia, courtesy of the owner’s family.
The Story Spreads on Social Media
Videos of the attack quickly started to circulate on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook, inciting outrage and calls to ban the pit bull as a breed. People online were quick to praise the bystanders, while also finding records of Disco Bubba attacking another person previously. There were also calls for stricter laws on dog bites to help prevent similar issues in the future.
What the Law Says
Under NYC Administrative Code §7-4.1, prosecution for a dog bite or other animal attack requires either proof of prior incidents, or negligent actions like failing to use a leash. Without evidence of either at the time, the police had no grounds to charge the owner with a crime, and thus let them go.
That being said, they may still be civilly liable for the bite under a recent change in New York State law. In the case of Flanders v. Goodfellow, the NY Court of Appeals ruled that dog owners could be sued for a dog bite if they were found to have been negligent in failing to stop the attack.
What to Do if You Want to Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about this attack, or any other dog bites in NYC, you can contact the NYPD’s 13th Precinct in Manhattan, which covers Union Square, for the incident report from December 22, 2025. You should use details like time (around 11:10 a.m.) and location (outside Santander Bank) to be more specific. You can also file a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the NYPD or NYC Department of Health for dog ownership records on “Disco Bubba,” the 2-year-old pit bull involved.
If you or someone you love has suffered a dog bite, you should speak to Mack Press, the New York Dog Bite Lawyer. He is dedicated to holding negligent dog owners accountable, while protecting dogs whose only crime was having a bad owner. To learn more, contact him at 1-833-8-DOGBITE (833-836-4248) or visit his contact page.
