8-year-old who survived vicious dog attack says he owes life to heroic bus driver

FRESNO, Calif. -- An 8-year-old boy who survived a vicious dog attack says he owes his life to a heroic bus driver.

A San Joaquin, Calif., man is apologizing for a German Shepherd attack that wounded the 8-year-old boy. He says his dogs got loose while he was out of town.

The boy is OK. He was rescued by a bus driver and a man in a red truck.

It is a dark day for the German Shepherd thought. She's on death row -- alone in an unfamiliar place.

"The dog knows, dogs have feelings too," said Chad McMullin, Fresno city manager. "You can't tell them why they're being held."

There won't be a jury or a trial. She's already been convicted, and the owner has decided to give her up.

"I just don't want to risk it, go through another situation," the owner said. "Once the dog bites, it's gonna become more aggressive, so I told them, don't wait for another chance."

The victim, Ricardo Carrillo, lives next door. His wounds are hidden beneath pajamas and he only had one word to say about his recovery, "good."

He was actually attacked by two dogs. They bit his leg, his arm and his head. A deputy put one down in the street. But it was Ruben Mendoza, a school bus driver, who saved Carrillo with a tire thumper.

"It could have been any of our kids, could have been one of mine. So first thing that comes to mind, do something," Mendoza said.

The owner of the dogs says it's now his turn to do the right thing.

"It's frustrating 'cause I put myself in their shoes, I have kids, and I'm really sorry."

The German Shepherd's final days will be spent in a kennel, and the owner says the city will put her down.

"It's two dogs. But a human life, you can't replace," he said.

A loss on both sides - one person has to give up a pet, and the other has to live with the scars.

The city says the dogs were never cited in the past, so the owner won't face any fines.

Ricardo made it home from the hospital in tears but still tough. He's recovering from the fight of his life.

"I got scared, and I literally thought I was gonna die," he said.

He was attacked while he was walking to his friend's house.

"I sacrificed myself for my friend," Ricardo said.

His friend ran away and left Ricardo alone.

"I feel they could have killed me, and nobody had to help me," Ricardo added.

It was the end of a school day. A bus full of kids had just pulled up, and Ricardo says the driver jumped out with a baseball bat.

"When the bus driver came, he told them to get out of here, and a guy in a red truck also helped," Ricardo said.

Deputies showed up moments later. The dogs ran home. They were contained in the yard, but it wasn't enough to hold both of them back.

"One of the dogs got out of the yard, came towards the deputy and got aggressive, and he fired two shots, killing the dog," Jake Jensen with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said.

The other dog was picked up by animal control, and Ricardo was rushed to the hospital.

"it broke my heart, he looked at me with his big brown eyes, they were watering...it hurt," said Ricardo's sister, Ana Maldonado.

Ricardo is still in pain but says his family is making it all go away.

"They want me to feel good, strong and invincible, and I love them," he said.