A young girl is recovering after getting attacked by a dog in Hernando County.
The white bandage on her knee only tells part of the story. Thirteen-year-old Alexandra Vaughn said she was attacked by a pit bull. Now she is on crutches and in a lot of pain.
“It was totally unprovoked," Vaughn said. "I did nothing to the dog. I didn’t even look at the dog. His whole jaw went around the back of my leg.”
Alexandra’s mother, Vicki Boehmer said her daughter was getting into a truck and never saw the attack coming.
“You could see where the flesh had been ripped and there was blood everywhere,” Boehmer said.
“The back of my knee was mangled," Vaughn said. "It was disgusting.”
The attack happened near the intersection of Copperfield Road and Stillwater Avenue in Spring Hill. Residents have seen a stray dog described as a pit bull. Alexandra and her mother are hoping another attack does not happen.
“This could have been catastrophic had it happened to an infant or a toddler on the street,” Boehmer said.
The sheriff’s office is looking for the dog. We actually ran into them while they were trying to catch a possible suspect. The dog ran away so a trap has been set up.
Alexandra needs the dog to be caught soon or she’ll have to be treated for rabies as a precaution.
“They need to get this dog,” she said.
Alexandra’s mother said there was not enough skin left after the attack to use stitches or staples so the wound will have to heal naturally. She also said her daughter will have knee problems in the future.