CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A 7-year-old boy is recovering from reconstructive surgery after he walked off a school bus and was mauled by three dogs last week.

Charlotte mother Elizabeth Bertrand tells news outlets that her son Noah had just stepped off the school bus Friday when three bull terriers jumped on him. Elizabeth Bertrand says she screamed as she tried to pry the dogs off the boy. Eventually, the dogs ran off and returned to their owner’s home.

Noah Bertrand suffered injuries to his head and face and underwent emergency cosmetic surgery. His mother says he received dozens of stitches in his forehead.

The owner surrendered the dogs to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s animal control division. It’s unclear how the dogs got loose or why they attacked the boy.