It was supposed to be a great day for family photos. Three-year-old Kennedy and two-year-old Morgan Schwalbe were all dressed up at their favorite spot in Balboa Park.
Mother Courtney Schwalbe says it was near the lily pond where her two girls crouched down to get a closer look at the fish when a Chihuahua came out of nowhere and attacked Kennedy, biting her face.
"I knew something had happened because I heard a dog and I heard her scream. I ran to see her condition and what had happened," father Ken Schwalbe said.
Little Kennedy was covered in blood.
"I just don't understand. It's a crowded area, my daughter didn't do anything to provoke the attack, and how can you let a dog that's supposedly on a leash latch onto my daughters face?" Cortney said.
She says that's when the owner of the Chihuahua refused to give her name. An eyewitness agreed to stay until police arrived, but then Cortney found another hurdle.
"Animal control did not come out because the dog lives in Chula Vista and the owner lives in Chula Vista," she said.
So although the incident occurred in Balboa Park, it would be Chula Vista animal control that would handle the case.
"My primary concern was to find out if this dog was vaccinated and that its shots were up to date," Cortney said.
But she says that took what felt like forever. It wasn't until 48 hours after Kennedy's dog attack that Cortney finally got some answers. Late Tuesday, she was told the dog had finally been quarantined at the owner's home. This was just minutes before Cortney was considering getting Kennedy the rabies vaccine.
"They have to inject the sight of the wound. I don't want to put my daughter through that," she said.
Cortney says a home quarantine isn't enough for a dog that attacked her baby girl. She's asking that the Chihuahua be labeled a vicious dog and be separated.
Although little Kennedy is healing from her injuries, her mother says she hasn't quite been the same.
"They have to inject the sight of the wound. I don't want to put my daughter through that," she said.
Cortney says a home quarantine isn't enough for a dog that attacked her baby girl. She's asking that the Chihuahua be labeled a vicious dog and be separated.
Although little Kennedy is healing from her injuries, her mother says she hasn't quite been the same.
"She tells us it hurts her. We try to give her as much comfort… she likes to have it covered up now," she said.
According to the police report, the dog's owner claims the child got too close to her dog and scared it.
Chula Vista Animal Control says the dog will be home quarantined for 10 days.
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