A Rochester toddler was hospitalized Sunday after a pit bull bit him and wouldn't let go, police said.

The 2-year-old boy was playing in a park Sunday night, throwing rocks in the air, when the dog attacked, said Capt. John Sherwin of the Rochester Police Department. One witness told police that the dog latched onto the toddler and wouldn't let go for five minutes, despite attempts by three people to free the boy, who suffered extensive injuries to his face and neck.

"It's a really horrific injury," Sherwin said. "I've never seen a dog bite like that before. Not to anyone — let alone a child."

The toddler was taken to the Saint Marys Campus of Mayo Clinic Hospital, where he underwent surgery. The hospital was not sharing his condition Monday afternoon, a spokeswoman said.

The dog and the toddler live in the same household, Sherwin said, so "the dog is familiar with the kid." The child's mother and the dog's owners — who told police that the dog is a 7- to 8-year-old pit bull — were hanging out together in the park when the dog attacked.

By Monday afternoon, the dog was in quarantine at the Rochester Animal Control Shelter. "Animal control officers are investigating this as a potentially dangerous dog," Sherwin said.

JENNA ROSS