Dog owner warned after attack on three-year-old – InForum

WALHALLA, ND — A young Walhalla girl remains hospitalized after being attacked by a dog.

Meanwhile, the dog’s owners have been summoned.

Three-year-old Ryleigh Lafferty is expected to return to Walhalla on Friday, June 14.

“She was able to talk to her brother and sister via Facetime today,” said her aunt Jessica Lafferty.

The story is very different from 24 hours ago, when she was attacked by her neighbor’s dog.

The dog is a mixed breed with pit bull elements.

“It was devastating, she was so traumatized and definitely in shock. And when she goes to sleep and wakes up, the first thing she asks is where the dog is. So she’s definitely still very scared of the dog,” Lafferty said.

According to the Pembina County Sheriff’s Office, Ryleigh was in the basement of the house next door with at least one other child and a teenager. There were no witnesses to the actual attack. The girl’s father heard his daughter screaming for help from across the alley and rushed to her aid.

“When I walked into the house, the dog had Ryleigh laying on the floor and the dog’s mouth was over her head. He said I can’t get that image out of my head. He said when he picked her up and lifted her up, she said, ‘I’m sorry, daddy,'” Lafferty said.

Ryleigh suffered bite marks on her mouth, eye and arm, as well as a scratch on her chest.

She underwent emergency surgery which lasted several hours.

The healing process is expected to take months or even years and may involve further surgery.

In addition, she must undergo several treatments against possible rabies infection.

The sheriff said the dog had not been vaccinated in nearly three years.

“We are grateful that she is alive because I think if it had taken much longer, unfortunately this may not have been the case,” Lafferty said.

The Pembina County Sheriff’s Office said the dog owners had been charged with dangerous dogs.

Walhalla’s city attorney declined to comment on whether further legal action could be taken against the couple, as pit bulls are banned within city limits.

The sheriff said the dog is still in his possession and will remain in quarantine for at least ten days.

The dog’s final fate has not yet been decided.

A GoFundMe site has been set up to help Ryleigh’s family.

Matt Henson is an Emmy Award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Before joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the lead anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.