Tennessee girl, 6, mauled by Akita offers advice to prevent similar attacks

TENNESSEE -- A 6-year-old Tennessee girl who was mauled by a neighbor's dog last week is recovering and offering advice to other pet owners to help prevent similar attacks.

Niyah Freeman was outside playing in her yard last week when a neighbor’s dog that was running loose attacked her.

 

“I was freaking out because he attacked me,” Niyah recalled. “I didn’t know it was going to happen.”

The 80 pound Akita left serious lacerations on Niyah that required hundreds of stitches.

“She was just screaming, ‘Mommy! I’m dying! I’m dying!” mother Shay Freeman said.

Niyah was rushed to the hospital where she received treatment to “a foot and a half of lacerations” on her head.

“All the lacerations made it to her skull and her scalp was peeled back,” Shay Freeman said. “She is lucky to be alive because she got away from the dog.”

Freeman told News 2 that her daughter has played with the dog before and it has never shown aggression.

Now, just four days after the brutal attack, Niyah told News 2 she is not afraid of dogs, but did have advice to offer to other pet owners.

“They should never let their dogs out because they could hurt other kids and other people,” she said.

The dog that attacked Niyah is currently being held in observation for 10 days at animal control.

The Freeman family said the dog’s owner has stated the animal will not be coming back to the neighborhood.

No charges are expected to be filed.

Why aren't charges expected to be filed? Tennessee law says if your dog is running loose and mauls someone like this, you can be charged with a FELONY.

(WCBD News 2 - ‎Jul 29, 2015‎)