Two siblings, a 12-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother, were rushed to the hospital Thursday evening after a dog burst out of a neighboring house and attacked them while they were playing outside in Philadelphia's Fairhill neighborhood, police said. Both children were bleeding from bite wounds, and emergency crews took them to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment. Authorities said the older child's injuries were especially serious and that medics worked quickly to stabilize both kids.
The attack happened around 6:15 p.m. on the 3300 block of North Water Street, when a pit bull allegedly darted from a nearby home and went for the children, according to 6abc. Officers found the 3-year-old with multiple bites to an arm and a leg and the 12-year-old with severe wounds to her face and arm, and investigators said the girl lost a tooth in the attack. Both were taken to CHOP, and police have not released updates on their conditions.
Police Response And ACCT Involvement
Philadelphia police said the dog was not on a leash, ran across the street to attack the children, then returned to the house afterward. Witnesses told officers the dog was later confined at the property, FOX 29 reported. The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly) responded and took custody of the dog for evaluation, according to officials.
What The Law Allows
Under city policy and state law, police and animal-control officers can detain a dog that bites a person and may pursue charges against the owner when there is probable cause, including a summary citation for harboring a dangerous dog, according to the Philadelphia Police Department's animal-control directive and Pennsylvania's dog-law statutes. The directive instructs officers to make sure biting dogs are secured and to code the case for a dangerous-dog investigation, while state law allows victims or police to file complaints with a magistrate for review.
Police have not said whether the dog's owner will face charges or released further details on the children's conditions, and ACCT Philly said it is continuing to review what happened. CBS News Philadelphia reported that officers described both children as having significant dog bites when they were taken to the hospital. Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia police.
