Girl, 8, hospitalized after dog attack


By CHRISTIAN BOONE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/12/08

An 8-year-old girl was hospitalized after being mauled by a neighbor's pit bull early Monday evening.

The girl's legs were bitten repeatedly by the pit bull/Rotweiller mix who broke his chain and ran after her, said Marcus Hodge, spokesman for the DeKalb County Police Department. Her legs were covered in blood when her mother — spotting the attack from her home on the 3000 block of Patti Parkway — interceded, bashing the dog on the head with a pipe. The canine retreated and was later captured by the county's animal control unit, Hodge said.

Late Monday police had not released the names of the girl or her mother or the dog's owner.

Police have charged the dog's owner with failure to properly restrain his animal and for not obtaining proof of rabies vaccination. Hodge said the dog did not demonstrate any signs of being rabid.

The girl's injuries are deemed serious and she was kept overnight at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

The dog will be held by the county until a judge decides its fate. The dog's owner is scheduled to appear in court on May 23rd, Hodge said.