The family of a three-year-old boy is suing the husband of an official at the Zhuji People's Procuratorate in eastern China's Zhejiang Province after the child had his arm mutilated by three guard dogs.

The lawyer representing the family, Fu Lei, requested the Zhuji People's Court on Tuesday to grant a prejudgment that would require the dog owner to pay advance compensation of up to 100,000 yuan ($15,707) to allow the family to pay for urgent medical treatment.

Fu said the court has not yet ruled on his motion.

The boy was attacked by three Belgian Shepherds that were guard dogs of a local auto repair shop owned by Luo Kai and his wife, Zhou Qiying, an official with the local prosecutor's office, said Liu Ying, the boy's mother.

The toddler was left unattended by his grandfather who was a security guard at the shop.

Liu said the dog owner has not apologized nor contacted the family since the accident in December. She said they received 145,000 yuan in compensation but medical treatments cost have reached 300,000 yuan.

In an attempt to garner public support for their plight, the boy's parents in March posted photos of their child's injuries on Sina Weibo showing scars left by bit marks all over the boy's body. The family said an official threatened them not to sue the couple in local courts.

The press office of the Zhuji government said in March that Zhou was not a prosecutor but was employed by the bureau's finance department. The Zhuji prosecutor's office also denied the parents' claim that the dog owner refused to compensate.

"The parents are both from countryside," Fu said, adding he did not want the public to label the case a dispute between officials and the people.