11-year-old girl attacked by dog in Dormont, mom says
DORMONT, Pa. (KDKA) -- A distraught mother said she is hunting for information after her daughter was attacked by a dog in Dormont.
The child went to the hospital to be treated and now has to complete several rounds of the rabies vaccine, totaling about 16 doses. They filed a police report and were told animal control has been notified, but they're hoping their neighbors will help them find the dog's owner.
It was around 10:30 a.m. on Labor Day when 11-year-old London Carroll was walking on Dwight Avenue in Dormont to a friend's house.
"I saw this dog and we were on the opposite sides of the sidewalk and her leash was just very long and it like lunged at me," she said.
She said the dog bit her at least twice and scratched her.
"I tried to go as far back as I could, and it just came at me. So, I ran into the street. I tried to get away from the dog and the lady walked away," London Carroll said.
The sixth grader told her mom the woman walking two large black dogs apologized and turned right onto Potomac Avenue.
"I was very upset. It was very disrespectful and unsafe of her to do that. And I got really scared, so I just walked the rest of the way to my friend's house to see if she could help me," she said.
Her friend's brother called 911 and London's mom, Angele Carroll, who came running from their nearby home.
"The dog just grabbed her by the leg and her arm. She has a bite on her arm as well. How did she not see that this was a big bite mark out of my kid's leg? And just walked away, that part was very frustrating for me," Angele Carroll said.
London Carroll was taken to UPMC Children's Hospital.
"It really freaked me out," she said.
The 11-year-old had to get X-rays to make sure the puncture wound didn't get to the bone. She got some stitches, plus three or four rabies shots and a tetanus shot.
London Carroll has three more rounds of rabies shots to go, which will be 12 additional doses in total, over the next two weeks and lots of aftercare and antibiotics.
"I don't know if the dog is up to date on his shots, and we don't have any information," Angele Carroll said.
Just a day after the attack shocked her, London Carroll is in good spirits. She and her mom retraced the path on Tuesday night. They were looking for cameras and asking neighbors if they'd seen the owner and her two dogs.
"I'm hoping that someone can at least give me some information to help us and hopefully save her from at least three rounds of rabies shots," Angele Carroll said.
"I'm hoping so I don't have to keep taking these rabies shots because it is a lot. And you don't want any other kids to have to struggle the way that I did," London Carroll said.
KDKA-TV reached out to the Dormont Police Department for more information.