'She's Lucky To Be Alive,' Officials Say: Toddler Mauled By Pit Bull, Home From Hospital

HEMET, CA — A 3-year-old Riverside County girl was home from the hospital with more than 200 stitches after being mauled by a dog at a Hemet day care facility.

The dog, which was chained at the time, attacked the unidentified toddler in the back yard of a home in the 41000 block of Mayberry Avenue on Saturday. The residence serves as a day care center, according to Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokeswoman Leslie Huennekens.

The dog attacked the girl's "face, arms and stomach," Huennekens told Patch. "She received 180 stitches just in her face alone." The fact that the dog was tethered at the time of the attack likely saved the girl's life, Huennekens said.

The owners of the home and day care center, who were not identified, called 911 after the attack, according to Huennekens. Cal Fire-Riverside County Fire Department medics and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department responded and transported the child to a nearby hospital. It is not yet known how the child entered the back yard or if adults were in supervisory range.

After the attack, the Sheriff's Department called in the Riverside County Department of Animal Services to collect the 2-year-old dog, a pit bull mix. Arriving officers found the dog chained in the back yard, she said.

The dog, which was aggressive at the time of collection, was placed under quarantine on rabies watch in Jurupa Valley. Its fate remained uncertain.

The dog's owners have 10 days to request its return. The animal services department asked for the "destruction of the dog based upon its behavior," Huennekens said.

It is unknown if authorities will bring criminal negligence or other charges against the dog's owners.

Patch reached out to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for further information on that matter.

"We don't know the history of this dog, but there have been no prior complaints," Hunnekens said. "Aggressive behavior can happen in any dog breed, not just pit bulls."

As for the toddler, she is back at home and resting comfortably, according to her mother. It's not clear how long she was in the hospital.