The dad of a toddler whose face was "ripped off" by a pitbull says there should be tighter restrictions around "dangerous" breeds - including the XL bully.<br /><br />JJ Rodriguez, now three, was playing outside in his front yard with his older sisters just before he was brutally attacked by a neighbour's pitbull on February 20, 2022.<br /><br />The tot was left in a critical condition after the attack with his face ripped apart, his skull exposed, and his jaw torn apart.<br /><br />His injuries were so severe a priest was called to his bedside.<br /><br />JJ had to stay in the Oklahoma Children's Hospital for three-and-a-half months and has since had 12 surgeries - including extensive facial reconstruction.<br /><br />JJ's dad, Jose, 34, believes "when you own a pitbull, you’re putting everyone around you at risk".<br /><br />Jose, a forklift operator, from Spencer, Oklahoma, US, said: “JJ was a dog lover - but these pitbulls scalped him - they took his nose, jaw and cheekbones off.<br /><br />“People have tried to say it was our fault for allowing JJ to play around the dogs - but the reality is, when you own a pitbull, you’re putting everyone around you at risk.”<br /><br />The incident happened when Jose and his wife, Cassandra, 33, a stay-at-home mum, let their seven children play outside.<br /><br />Cassandra watched them from the front door as they played with teddy bears and sat down by some flower beds, while Jose was showering before work.<br /><br />After he got out of the shower, he spoke to Cassandra - who picked up their youngest child, Olivia, then five months old, and took her inside for "a minute". <br /><br />In the time it took for Cassandra to turn her back - the pair heard JJ begin to scream - and came out to find three pitbulls dragging him along.<br /><br />Jose said: “I started screaming 'no' and I just ran towards the dogs.<br /><br />“I was fighting with them - trying to physically put myself between them and JJ.<br /><br />"I got injured too - but it was like nothing compared to what happened to him.<br /><br />“These dogs did not want to stop - it was like a pack mentality. They wanted to kill my son.”<br /><br />After 30 seconds of struggle between Jose, JJ and the dogs - Jose saw his opportunity when the “leader” opened its mouth - and threw his arm in there, giving JJ time to escape.<br /><br />They ran off but JJ was left with life-threatening injuries. His sister, Khloe, 13, dialled 911.<br /><br />“I turned JJ around,” Jose said.<br /><br />“I thought he was dead. But then, he started crying and I was filled with hope.<br /><br />“I looked at his face, and there was just nothing there. I could see into his throat - and he was choking on his own blood.<br /><br />“I’m usually such a highly-strung, stressed-out kind of guy. But I was extremely calm. I kept rubbing his back, telling him he was going to be OK.”<br /><br />The family did exactly as the 911 operator instructed - wrapping JJ’s entire head up in order to keep his wounds clean.<br /><br />But when the firefighters - who were first on the scene - arrived, they immediately called for back up.<br /><br />Jose said: “I heard the firefighter say ‘oh f**k. This baby’s dying.’
