5-year-old mauled by family dog
Area girl is flown to Columbus Children's Hospital with facial injuries; aunt decides to euthanize boxer


04/23/2006
Newark Advocate.com
MELISSA KNIFIC
Advocate Reporter

NEWARK -- A 5-year-old girl was transported by emergency helicopter to Columbus Children's Hospital on Saturday after she was bitten in the face by a dog.

Medics were called to 29 E. Holliday St. around 11:41 a.m., said a dispatcher at the Licking County 911 Center.

The child, Kylee Kindred, was attacked by a 2-year-old boxer owned by her aunt, Dawn Ridenbaugh.

She was listed in fair condition at the hospital Saturday evening.

Kindred's 5-year-old cousin, Lexus Carr, witnessed the incident, which occurred in the back yard where the dog was chained. She went inside the house to tell Ridenbaugh.

"Her whole face was nothing but blood," Ridenbaugh said about her niece.

Ridenbaugh called 911 as well as Kindred's mother, who met at the house and traveled with the ambulance to White Field. The helicopter then transported Kindred from that location to Columbus.

The boxer has a history of "nipping" at people, but it has never attacked someone, Ridenbaugh said.

"The kids know not to play with him," she added.

However, she said Kindred loves animals and probably just wanted to pet the dog.

She decided to have the dog put to sleep because she fears it could attack her own children.

"If he did it to (Kindred) like that, I could never take the chance," she said.

Advocate City Editor Julie Shaw contributed to this article.

Melissa Knific can be reached at (740) 328-8547 or mknific@newarkadvocate.com.
Originally published April 23, 2006