A five-year-old girl from South Bend, Indiana, was attacked by a pit bull recently and suffered extensive injuries that required surgery. The animal nearly tore the victim's right ear off, and the girl was still recovering several days after the incident, Fox affiliate WSJV reports.The victim was the granddaughter of the pet owner's girlfriend, and police say that the man was aware that the dog was potentially aggressive. Additionally, he did not have the necessary liscences for owning a dangerous animal. According to the news source, the dog also did not have its rabies shots up-to-date and was euthanized.
DogsBite.org reports that around 1,000 people are hospitalized due to canine attacks each day, and that in 2009, a study found that 59 percent of fatal dog attacks were caused by pit bulls.
Those looking to protect themselves from being a victim of a dog attack may want to buy pepper spray. When aimed at the face of an animal, it will make it difficult for them to see and breathe, allowing the user to get to safety.
