Pit bull serving life sentence in Arizona jail

PHOENIX (KGO) -- A pit bull that mauled a 4-year-old boy is now serving its life sentence in an Arizona jail.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio took the dog into the facility on Thursday. Last month, a judge declared the pit bull named "Mickey" vicious, but declined to have him euthanized.

Instead, she ordered the dog to be neutered and defanged and gave an animal rights group 30 days to find a facility to take him. Arpaio stepped forward.

"This will be the first time that a judge has ever sentenced a dog to jail, this is a real jail. No probation, no parole, no execution, a life sentence, so we're ready to take Mickey for however long the dog lives," said Arpaio.

The outpouring of support to keep the dog alive has outraged the mother of 4-year-old Kevin Vicente. She says people have shown more concern for a vicious dog, than for her son.

Kevin suffered numerous bite wounds, as well as a broken jaw and injured eye socket. Doctors say he has months, if not years, of reconstructive surgery ahead of him.