Jan 9, 2008 5:54 pm US/Eastern
Girl Continues To Recover After Pit Bull Attack
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Sky Eye Chopper 13 was over the 800-block of Bonaparte Avenue in the city Monday night when a pit bull mauled 9-year-old Cierra Thomas.
A young Baltimore girl is recovering after being viciously attacked by a dog Monday evening.
Derek Valcourt reports animal control officials believe the dog may have been used for dog fighting.
Sky Eye Chopper 13 was over the 800-block of Bonaparte Avenue in the city Monday night when a pit bull mauled 9-year-old Cierra Thomas. Friends were with her at the time.
"The dog, it was loose and then it came running down the street. We went running on the porch and then the dog just came where we was," Brittney Coleman.
"I just grabbed anything I could grab," her grandmother, Barbara Banks, said.
Banks ran to help and literally had to beat the dog off of the girl.
"I had to do what I had to do. She was crying and he was attacking her. Blood was all dripping and coming from her arm and all that," Banks said.
The pit bull was taken away by Animal Control in such bad condition that it had to be euthanized. Testing is being conducted to determine if the dog had rabies.
There's no known owner at this time and there was no identifying tag on the dog.
Animal Control Director Bob Anderson says the dog showed signs that it may have been used for dog fighting.
"There was obvious scarring about the face, the head, the neck, the shoulders," he said. "This dog had been in fights before."
Right now, the dog fighting task force is investigating but a police spokesperson says they are not aware of any dog fighting investigation, telling
Eyewitness News, "We don't have the elements of a crime. Police have not received any requests from Animal Control to further investigate this incident."
The good news is nine-year-old Cierra Thomas is recovering in good condition. Her injuries are not life-threatening.
There is a reward being offered for information regarding dog fighting anywhere in the city. If you think you have information that could help, call the Bureau of Animal Control or 311.
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