SUGARCREEK TWP, Armstrong County — A mother says her son was bitten by a dog shortly after being dropped off at the wrong house by a substitute bus driver for the Karns City School District.

Jeanie Conley of Sugarcreek Township, Armstrong County, said her son, a first-grade student at Sugarcreek Elementary School, was dropped off last Wednesday with another student in front of a house a couple miles from his home.

Conley said he was walking with the other student when he was bitten by a German shepherd that was not on a leash. The dog bit his leg, breaking the skin and causing bruising. A woman who lives nearby came to the boy's aid and called his mother, who picked him up and took him to ACMH Hospital where he received two staples to close the wound.

Eric Ritzert, Karns City school superintendent, confirmed that the student was dropped off at the wrong house by a substitute driver and was subsequently injured in an incident with a dog on the front lawn of a house.

The district is working with the family and the contractor, Shriver Bus Company, to make sure that this does not happen in the future, Ritzert said.

“We need to do a better job ensuring that we get all the kids home to the proper locations,” he said. “It's a terrible situation. You never want any students hurt or injured.”

Conley said she notified the Armstrong dog warden and the school district after the incident, but was disappointed to see the same substitute driver back on the bus route the next two days.

She said she never asked the district to drop her son off anywhere but their home and that the family is happy with the regular bus driver on his route.

The boy is autistic and suffers from seizure disorder and the dog attack could have triggered a seizure, she said.

“I just want to know my son is safe. I put all my trust in them to make sure he gets to the school and gets safely back to me,” she said.

The boy is now recovering from his wound and continues to ride the bus, she said.

Ritzert said that the driver is still working for the contractor while the district continues to look into the matter. The district this week asked Shriver to not have that substitute driver assigned to that bus route again.

Armstrong County Dog Warden Matt Patrick did not return a call for comment Thursday.