OKLAHOMA -- A young girl was hospitalized after police say a pit bull attacked her Thursday afternoon.
Muskogee Police Department Officer Danny Spears said the 3-year-old girl suffered injuries to her head and was taken to Muskogee Regional Medical Center after the attack at 807 Osage St.
Muskogee County Emergency Medical Service spokeswoman Rebecca Smith said the girl, whom neighbors identified as Jacee Richardson, was flown to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.
Spears said police received the call about the dog bite just after 2 p.m.
An updated condition report on Richardson was unavailable, but Smith said the girl’s injuries were considered life-threatening.
“My understanding is she’s on a ventilator,” Smith said.
Spears said the dog was on a chain in the backyard when it attacked the girl.
The dog, Spears said, was taken from the house by animal control for rabies testing.
Jerry Benningfield, a neighbor, said when the dog was taken from the backyard, its face was covered in blood.
“That girl was so sweet,” Benningfield said. “She would come over and pick flowers from the front of our house sometimes and take them home with her.”
Spears said investigators would look over the incident report officers filed and determine if any criminal action had taken place.
“We need to know if any type of neglect occurred here,” Spears said. “But, right now, the child is our biggest concern.”
Child welfare employees were at the address around 5 p.m., but declined to say why they were there.
Benningfield said he had been praying for Richardson since the attack happened.
“I’ve been praying and praying,” Benningfield said. “I said a prayer, and then an officer said he heard she’d been stabilized, so I’m going to keep praying.”
(Muskogee Daily Phoenix - September 20, 2012)
