The child was at her home in the 3200 block of Lancaster Lane in Progress Village about 2:20 p.m. when the American Staffordshire Terrier bit the child [on the back of her head and the side of her face], according to animal services spokeswoman Marti Ryan.
The girl's family was dog sitting someone's pet, Ryan said.
“The mother was embracing the child and squeezing her very tight, the dog turned on the child,” Ryan said.
The child may have screamed loudly and startled the dog, prompting the attack, said Ryan, who did not know the extent or the location of the child's injuries.
The child was treated at the scene and transported Tampa General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
“An investigator is on scene now that will be impounding the dog and will be investigating the incident,” Ryan said.
The dog was unneutered, which could have played a role in the attack, Ryan said.
Hillsborough County Animals Services investigates roughly 2,000 dog bites a year, Ryan said, and they typically happen to children, the elderly, letter carriers or those who must go onto property to perform their work.
(Northwest News and Tribune - May 12, 2013)
