WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19, 2014 – A dog bit a 10-year-old girl in Desert Hot Springs this morning (Feb. 19). The victim was with her mother as they waited for a school bus to arrive at their stop.

The dog, an intact husky mix named Ollie, bit the girl in the face at least once, possibly twice. The mother immediately took her daughter to the Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Riverside County Animal Services Officer James Huffman responded and retrieved the husky from a yard where the dog had presumably returned. The dog will be impounded and quarantined at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms.

The attack happened shortly after 8 a.m. as the girl was waiting for her school bus at the corner of 7th Street and West Drive. No one had called 911, but Riverside County Animal Services received a call about the incident. Officer Huffman called the Desert Hot Springs Police Department as a precaution, since it was unknown if the dog was still roaming. (The dog, approximately 2 years in age, had already returned to its property when a police officer arrived.)

The victim may have been familiar with the dog, since she lives in the area. Initial reports indicate that the girl was petting the dog, while she waited at the bus stop, and then the dog turned and bit her for some unknown reason. Officer Huffman said he was also familiar with the dog. Sometime during last summer, a couple had abandoned the dog at a home on 7th Street, Huffman said. A neighbor took over care of the dog after the dog was left behind.

"Even if this little girl was familiar with the dog, pet owners must realize that they should not allow their dog to roam freely," Riverside County Animal Services Director Robert Miller said. "If this dog is within its own yard, this little girl doesn't get bit at the bus stop. Period."

Miller said dog owners must take better responsibility in helping Riverside County Animal Services keep neighborhoods safe. "We feel horrible that an innocent child gets bit while waiting for her school bus," Miller said. "And this attack was totally preventable."

NOTE to Media: This incident is still pending actions by Riverside County Animal Services. We will update this news release when citations are officially issued against the dog owner.