NBC NATIONAL NEWS — A public hearing will decide the fate of a dog that attacked a 6-year-old boy, leaving him with wounds requiring surgery and 400 stitches.

The pointer/hound mix attacked the boy while his owner was babysitting the child in his Mansfield, Massachusetts home.

The dog's owner is taking full responsibility, calling it a "tragic accident" and adding the dog's never caused trouble to neighbors, before stressing he's "not a dangerous, vicious dog."

The Mansfield Board of Selectmen will meet at the end of the month, and with the public's input, will determine what happens next.

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