TEXAS -- A rabies test was negative on a chocolate Labrador retriever that attacked a 9-year-old girl -- biting off part of her ear -- last week in a Graham front yard as other children were playing, an animal control officer said Thursday.
The girl was treated at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth and released a few hours after the attack. No other children were injured.
The attack occurred about 6:30 p.m. April 5 in the 1200 block of Caroline Street in Graham, about 90 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
Five children were playing in front of a residence when they saw the dog walking up the street.
"He stopped at the yard across the street from the children and then walked toward them," Graham animal control officer Kim Shawver said. "The kids started pulling back a young girl and yelled at the dog to 'get.'"
The dog attacked the girl, latched on to her and bit off a small part of her ear, Shawver said.
The Labrador ran off but was spotted by Graham police who responded to 911 calls.
Shawver said she and officers chased the dog for about 45 minutes before they cornered him and used a catchpole to capture him. The dog lived about four blocks from where the attack occurred. His owners were found the night of April 5.
"They were appalled," Shawver said Thursday. "They couldn't believe it. The couple had two small children of their own. That night they were willing to sign him over to me, but I told them to think about it overnight."
The next morning, the owners signed the dog over to authorities. Test results became available this week.
(Star-Telegram - April 12, 2012)
