HEMET, Calif. — A 3-year-old California girl is recovering at home after she was attacked by a dog Saturday and required 180 stitches to her face alone.
The attack occurred at about 3:30 p.m. near Hemet, KTVU reported.
Officials with the Riverside County Department of Animal Services initially stated that the 2-year-old pit bull mix was tethered at the time of the attack, but the victim’s mother has disputed the owner’s claim that the animal was restrained.
John Welsh, animal services chief and spokesperson for the department, clarified the conflicting accounts in an emailed statement.
“We should note that when our officer arrived at the property, the dog was in the backyard inside a pen of some type. The owner had informed us that the dog was tethered and located in the backyard when the attack occurred. The mother told us that was incorrect,” Welsh wrote.
“Her daughter conveyed to her that the attack occurred/started inside the house and continued outside, in the backyard, after the dog pulled her out a back door,” he added.
According to KTVU, the child also required stitches in her hip area.
“It’s horrible what happened to this girl,” Animal Services Lt. Lesley Huennekens told the TV station, noting that the home and surrounding property where the attack occurred are believed to be used as a day care center.
It was only the child’s second visit to the facility, Huennekens said.
Meanwhile, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Officer Mike McGee described the dog as powerful and aggressive, noting that the pooch lunged at his leg despite the use of a control stick and managed only to tear his pants, KTVU reported.
The dog has been placed in a protective custody kennel at the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley, Welsh confirmed.
Per protocol, the dog will be held for 10 days, pending the owner’s appeal of the pet’s seizure.