SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A 4-year-old girl was airlifted to the hospital after, officials said, she was attacked by a dog in Southwest Miami-Dade.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the minor was airlifted as a trauma alert to Kendall Regional Medical Center after suffering lacerations from a dog bite, Monday afternoon.
Miami-Dade Police responded to the scene near Southwest 154th Court and 162nd Street in Southwest Miami-Dade, at around 5:30 p.m.
“The husband could barely speak English and couldn’t really get on the phone with 911, so the neighbor had to help out with that, and I was just trying to make sure the dog wasn’t gonna get out,” said neighbor David Fernandez. “The dog’s whole face was covered in blood.”
Neighbors said they heard the victim screaming at around 4 p.m. “Me and my brother, we rushed out of the house, we sprinted over here, and you could just see a puddle of blood and the little girl in her mom’s arms,” Fernandez said.
It appeared the she was bitten multiple times on her face and leg. “Her cheek was hanging, her ear, thigh and back of the head,” said witness Mike Gonzales. “It was really bad.”
They also described what they saw at the scene. “The child was just covered, I mean, the mother was just holding her,” Fernandez said. “She didn’t want to let her go for anything, but she was — the mom was covered in her daughter’s blood.”
Neighbors said the girl’s family rents an apartment on the property and that she was playing with the male terrier mix, named Troy, before he snapped for some reason.
“I mean, as soon as I saw the dog full of blood, I knew it was the dog,” said one witness.
Miami-Dade Animal Services responded to the scene and confirmed that the dog owner is a family member who contacted the police and rescue.
A quarantine notice that was left on the door identified Troy’s owner as Marcelino Avila.
Officials said Troy will remain at Avila’s home overnight. The owner has agreed to surrender the canine to animal services on Tuesday.
Officials have not yet released the victim’s condition.
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