Vancouver girl badly injured in pit bull attack

Vancouver girl badly injured in pit bull attack
CTV News Staff

A 14-year-old Vancouver girl is in serious condition in hospital, recovering from a vicious attack by two pit bull dogs.

Animal control officers captured two mixed breed pit bulls Sunday morning, just hours after the attack. The dogs' DNA is being tested to confirm they are responsible for the attack.

The victim was attacked at about 1 a.m., while walking with a friend in the 400-block on East 28th Ave.

The animals, who had earlier been reported missing by their owner, were roaming the streets. One dog pounced on the girl, and the second began mauling her face and head.

The teen was dragged half a block before citizens heard the girls' screams.

“We had citizens then came out from their homes to bang pots and sticks and anything they could to have the dogs disengage from the girls body,” said Vancouver police spokesperson Sarah Bloor.

Doctors report the girl suffered significant facial and nerve damage, and she remains in serious condition in hospital.

Vancouver dog-mauling victim happy to be home
CTV News Staff

The Vancouver girl who was mauled by two dogs just before Christmas spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since the horrific attack. She says she's relieved to be out of hospital and back home.

Shenica White told CTV News she's received hundreds of e-mails and cards since the attack, and is grateful for the public's support.

The teen has dark scars on the right side of her face and has some nerve damage that has made her smile crooked. As she spoke, the 14-year-old wore a hat to cover the scars on her scalp inflicted by the two Rottweiler-mastiff dogs that attacked her as she walked home with friends Dec. 22.

Shenica has undergone two surgeries and faces more in the future. She says it took her a while to realize how serious the attack was.

"The first week in the hospital I thought everything was going to be okay. Like, in a few weeks I would be better. As time went on though, I realized it is not an overnight thing," she told CTV.

The attack itself was more than she can talk about.

"I remember the attack vividly but I don't want to get into the details," she said quietly.

The dogs' owner is currently under investigation for criminal negligence. Shenica's family is considering a lawsuit against the owner, so Shenica only answered questions approved by her lawyer.

The two dogs who attacked her have been destroyed -- something that Shenica has mixed feelings about.

"I was sad to hear they had to die but it was relieving to know that they could not hurt anybody else."

She says the ordeal has been tough but she has learned about survival.

"I learned there is no point to be sad and cry all the time over things that happened, because it is not going to make anything better. You may as well try to move on.

"And it is taught me to not take anything for granted."

I'm very sorry to hear of the attack of this girl, however I wish the media would really stop naming every dog attack by a pit bull. As it came out later - these dogs were a rottweiler mastiff mix. Not two pit bulls.

Because of this reporting by the news, my pit bulls have to suffer. After this news story came out I was walking my one pit and I had a mother throw a rock at my dog and it hit him in the head and she told me to "get that beast away from my child".

Jack Russels, Labs, Great danes, and bull terriers have all been named pit bulls by the news.

I'd have thrown the rock back at the woman and told her to get her facts straight.