The one-year-old girl was rushed to hospital by ambulance with her distraught mother at about 9:30 a.m.
Initial reports suggested she had her nose bitten off by the animal and had suffered tear and puncture wounds to her face, some of which had exposed the bone beneath.
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| Christine Leclair and daughter Cali. Photograph by: Facebook image |
In a news release, the Ottawa Paramedic Service described the wounds as “multiple, severe lacerations to the face.”
It’s not yet known whether the pit bull was a family pet or a neighborhood dog.
[Update: The family says it had taken in the dog named “Boss” from an old friend the day before. Leclair says she’s always been honest about knowing it had nipped at his child, but was never told it was capable of this kind of attack.]
Ottawa police have secured the animal and, along with Bylaw Services, are investigating the incident, which occurred just after 9 a.m. on Draffin Court in Nepean’s Centrepointe neighborhood.
In a statement, police said the child was bitten while the family was playing with the dog inside their west-end residence.
The girl was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition, where she is receiving treatment. Her injuries are not life-threatening, and no one else was injured, police said.
In Ontario, it’s illegal to own, import or breed an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier or any similar breed.
People who owned pit bulls before the 2005 ban were allowed to keep their animals, but had to ensure they were neutered or spayed. The dogs also had to be muzzled and leashed in public.
The law banning the animals also gives judges the right to put down the animals if they’ve been involved in an attack.
(Ottawa Citizen - April 27, 2014)
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