KENTUCKY -- A young girl is recovering after the Johnson County Sheriff's Office says she was attacked by a pit bull.
Deputy Sheriff Tim Clark says the 8 year old was playing in the Nippa Community of Johnson County on Friday afternoon, after she got out of school.
He says a pit bull that was tied up at a home about 70 feet away from where she was playing broke its chain, ran toward her and attacked her.
Clark says there is no evidence at this time to show that the girl provoked the dog.
He says she was bitten on the leg and on her side, injuries Clark described as brutal and graphic.
The girl was taken to the hospital and is now recovering at home.
Clark tells us this isn't the first time the dog has attacked a child. He says the owner provided him with documentation, showing the dog attacked another child in February.
Clark says when he spoke with the owner, he had no remorse or concern for the little girl who was bitten and commented that if kids go on his property, they are fair game.
Animal control currently has the dog quarantined.
Clark says if the dog is not put down, his goal is to make sure the dog is contained in a secure enclosure with a fence.
Clark has presented the case to the county attorney and asked for a charge of harboring a vicious animal against the owner. That is a misdemeanor.
We asked Clark about laws surrounding dogs in Johnson County. He says at the county level, there are no leash laws.
(WYMT/WSAZ - May 1, 2013)
