Authorities in Northwest Arkansas have named a new honorary deputy sheriff: a 4-year-old boy recovering from severe injuries sustained in a dog attack Thursday.
Authorities were called to a home on Malico Mountain Road in south Washington County about 10:45 a.m., according to a statement from the county sheriff's office.
Two adult pit bulls belonging to a neighbor had bitten the child, the agency said.
The boy, Matthew Guess, was transported to Washington Regional Medical Center then to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, where he has a long recovery ahead, family friends wrote on Facebook. His face and legs were severely damaged, and he reportedly needs facial reconstruction surgery and therapy.
On Sunday, the 4-year-old got a visit from Washington County sheriff's deputies, who swore him in as an honorary deputy.
"We're so proud of our newest deputy sheriff!" the agency said on Facebook. "Matthew, you are showing all of us what strong and brave really means!"
The dogs were taken and quarantined by animal control officers, the sheriff's office said. Both have been deemed dangerous, per the county's animal ordinance.