The terrifying encounter with the angry canine on the family's front porch steps seemed never-ending. Karl, 7, and his 13-year-old cousin Jamal said it happened as they were about to leave for school.
WATCH: Teen talks about saving kids from dog attack
Teen with broom saves children from dog attack in Englewood
"I just kept hearing the three kids yelling," Jamal Anderson said. "They're all just yelling, screaming, crying and... but they didn't know what to do because they're still young."
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The dog had Karl cornered but Jamal, broom in hand, rushed to his cousin's aid. He hit the dog once, giving Karl enough space to get away without injury.
"I just seen the broom and grabbed it, grabbed it, and just jumped down the stairs. And I hit it real hard," Jamal said.
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"Then the dog ran away," said Karl.
The bite marks on Karl's backpack are now reminders of what could have been. The trusty broom is back on the porch.
"I left it on the porch," said Erica Clayborn, Jamal's mother. "Thank God I left that broom on the porch. Thank God I did, mm-hmm."
The family said it's never seen that dog before, and it's unclear who it belongs to. Karl and Jamal said they hope never to see it again.