An eight-year-old boy from St George’s was still being treated today in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) after being mauled by a pit bull.Arnezha Astwood required surgery after he was bitten by the dog on Saturday.The dog’s owner, 22-year-old Gary Blackwell, admitted in Magistrates’ Court this morning that his dog had bitten the child. Blackwell also pleaded guilty to keeping an unlicensed pit bull, and keeping an excessive number of dogs on his property.Three dogs were being kept at the Cove Valley Lane apartment in St David’s, Blackwell told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner to protect his home. “The police never do nothing for me,” he said. “My dogs will.”He said that on Saturday afternoon he opened his door to take the dog, Max, a mixed breed pit bull, out into the yard.“The kid was in my yard when I opened up my front door,” Blackwell said.He said: “My dog attacked the kid in my yard. The kid started screaming, the dog chased after him, and I chased the dog and pulled it back inside.”The child was taken by taxi to the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre, then moved to KEMH yesterday for surgery.Blackwell called it “a case of bad luck”, and apologised to the court.Mr Warner granted Blackwell bail of $5,000. He will return to court next month for sentencing.