4-year-old Girl Suffers Several Puncture Wounds
A 4-year-old girl suffered bite wounds to her face after her grandfather’s dog charged her and attacked.
The incident happened Tuesday (June 5) at about 2:30 pm. on Corson Avenue in an unincorporated neighborhood in Mead Valley, south of the March Air Reserve Base.
Riverside County Animal Services officer Tiffany Fuller documented the wounds and filled out a bite report, per normal protocol.
Reportedly, the grandfather allowed one of his dogs out of a kennel run, or the dog managed to escape. It’s unclear at this point exactly what happened.
Once loose, the dog immediately charged the child, according to the officer’s notes. The girl was playing at or near a porch or patio at the property. The attack was described as unprovoked, Officer Fuller noted in her bite report. The girl, whose birthday is today (she turned 4 today), was treated at a local hospital and released.
The dog, a 5-year-old, male hound mix, was surrendered by the owner for humane euthanasia.
Riverside County Animal Services’ officers are familiar with the owner and the property. Dating to 2015, officers cited the property for a kennel violation because the owner had more than four dogs on site. Property owners in Riverside County are required to obtain a proper kennel license when they are caring for more than four dogs.
It is believed the man was possibly breeding dogs at the site, but the kennel violation was cleared after officers’ follow-up visits because the man had reduced his number of dogs to four.
“We’re still looking into what caused this incident, but we believe this sad case illustrates yet again that dog owners need to be extra vigilant with their pets when children are present,” Animal Services Director Robert Miller said. “We are always especially troubled when toddlers are seriously injured.”
