AUSTRALIA --- A four-year-old girl has suffered horrific head injuries during an attack by an unregistered dog at her Melbourne home.
Paramedics were called to the child's home in Melbourne's southeast on Tuesday evening to find her being comforted by her mother.
The girl was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital in a serious condition. On Wednesday afternoon, her condition was listed as stable.
The attack by the Rhodesian ridgeback-cross, which is about six months old, occurred at the child's home in Ryan Road, Pakenham about 7.30pm (AEDT).
The dog has since been seized by the Cardinia Shire Council.
It is believed the family was looking after it for someone else.
Advanced life-support paramedic Mike Jevons said they immediately cleaned and dressed the girl's wounds to stop bleeding and gave her pain relief.
"The four-year-old suffered horrific head injuries," Mr Jevons said.
Cardinia Shire spokesman Paul Dunlop said the dog will remain impounded while an investigation into the incident is under way.
He added that the council's thoughts are with the girl's family.
He said the council did not have power to put the animal down until the owner signed it over to the council or a court found a person responsible for the dog.
Council officers expect to interview the dog's owner this week.
Mr Dunlop said it is believed the family was looking after the dog for someone else.
"As part of the investigation, it's something we're looking into in the next few days," he said.
However, the fact the dog was on the family's property made them responsible.
Three other dogs were on the property, two of which were also unregistered.
Mr Dunlop said there had never been an incident recorded at the property before.
The attack follows another dog attack last August in which a four-year-old Melbourne girl was killed.
Ayen Chol was mauled to death by a neighbour's pit bull mastiff dog in her St Albans home, in northwest Melbourne.
The dog's owner has been charged over the attack and is due to face the Sunshine Magistrates Court in February charged with multiple offences under the Domestic Animals Act.
The dog also attacked Ayen's 31-year-old cousin, and her cousin's five-year-old daughter.
The dog was later put down by the local council.
(Australia Yahoo - Jan 25, 2012)
