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Dog That Bit Girl Had Been Trained With Teddy Bear, Investigators Say

News Channel 8 photo by JEFF PATTERSON

Hillsborough County authorities say this dog bit a 2-year-old girl on the head, sending her to the hospital.

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JEFF PATTERSON

News Channel 8

Published: March 11, 2009

Updated: 03/11/2009 05:05 pm

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• Animal Attacks Database

David Arthur III

TAMPA - Hunter, a male Mastiff mix, had been trained by its owner to play tug-of-war with a teddy bear about as large as a toddler, animal investigators said.

Monday, the dog clamped down on the head of a 2-year-old girl, forcing the dog owner to choke the animal in order to release the child, investigators said.

Hillsborough County Animal Services now has possession of the dog.

Dog owner David Arthur III, 38, of Hudson, faces criminal charges in the attack on Mia Kingsman, who was being treated at Tampa General Hospital on Tuesday, officials said.

A hospital spokeswoman listed the girl in serious condition. The girl's family declined through the spokeswoman to speak to a reporter.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office initially said the dog was a mixed-breed St. Bernard and bull mastiff that had been on a chain but gotten loose when Mia was attacked. The sheriff's office also initially said that Arthur was not there at the time.

After further investigation, however, Hillsborough County Animal Services Sgt. Pam Perry said Tuesday that Arthur had been visiting with the child's parents at 11820 N. Armenia Ave. and that the dog had been running loose while Mia was playing in the yard.

The attack could have been prevented, Perry said.

"I hope people are educated by this so it doesn't happen again," Perry said. "It's about not playing with your dog with an item that looks like a small child. It's about not allowing the dogs to be around small children."

Arthur was being held at Orient Road Jail on Tuesday on $2,526 bail. Deputies arrested him after learning he had an outstanding warrant for driving with a suspended license.

Deputies also cited him for having an aggressive dog and having an expired dog tag.

According to Perry, one of the dog's favorite games was tug-of-war, using a large teddy bear. Such play encourages a dog to clamp down tight.

"A small child, a large teddy bear – similar items," she said. "You play tug-of-war, you're teaching the dog not to let go of that object."

Once the dog latched onto Mia, the girl's father began beating the animal and Arthur began choking it to force it to release her, Perry said.

Perry said this was the first time the dog had visited Mia's family, which also created an unfamiliar situation.

"Either the dog should have been confined, or the child should have been left somewhere else," she said.

Reporter Jeff Patterson can be reached at (813) 221-5703. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800.

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