A 9-year-old boy was reportedly mauled Monday by two dogs outside his home in Senita, an incident that left him hospitalized with multiple injuries and reignited community concerns about dangerous pets roaming local neighborhoods.

The attack occurred as the child and his father were walking into their home through the garage, according to a social media post shared by the boy’s family. The child was bitten several times and required stitches in seven locations, the post stated.

“MPD responded to a young man that was bit in the leg by a dog that the boy was trying to pet. He was taken to the ER by his mother for treatment,” Maricopa Police Department spokesperson Monica Williams said Tuesday. “When officers arrived, the dog was no longer on scene and an owner has not been identified.”

The boy’s family described the dogs as English bulldogs — one black-and-white male and one brown female that appeared to have recently had puppies. They are urging neighbors to contact police or animal control if the animals are spotted again in the area.

The dogs remain at large, police confirmed. Neighbors have reported seeing them near Tractor Supply and Walmart.

The incident comes after a fatal dog attack in Tucson where a man was killed in April and another injured by a pair of pit bulls in a southside neighborhood. In that case, the dogs’ owner was indicted on murder charges.

While the Maricopa attack did not result in life-threatening injuries, it serves as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by aggressive or unsupervised dogs — especially when children are involved.

Under Arizona law, dog owners can be held civilly and criminally liable for attacks if the animal is found to be vicious or the owner acted negligently.

Animal control officials recommend residents keep dogs leashed or properly contained at all times and encourage reporting any stray or aggressive animals immediately.