A pit bull stabbed by its owner after it attacked a 2-year-old girl has been euthanized, officials said.
The stab wounds were so severe that the pit bull mastiff couldn't have been adopted, said Marti Ryan, Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman. The dog, named Fresh, was euthanized Thursday.
"The dog was in serious pain," Ryan said. "That was the humane thing to do."
The incident happened Wednesday night in a garage at 10146 Bloomfield Hills Drive in Thonotosassa. The unneutered dog bit the toddler's face and upper body when she offered it a treat.
The owner stabbed the 85-pound pit bull in the face to get it off the child, animal control officers said.
Ryan said she did not know the condition of the child, who was taken to a hospital. The toddler's name has not been released.
A man and woman also were injured in the incident, both suffering bites on their arms.
There were no prior issues or complaints regarding the dog or its owners, Ryan said.
Officers cited the owners because they could not show proof of vaccination and tags. But Ryan said charges are unlikely because the incident involved a dog attacking a family member, not a neighbor or stranger.
"The child has suffered, the family has suffered and the dog has suffered," she said. "It's tragic."
Ryan recommends that young children not be allowed to feed the family dog or be left unsupervised with a dog.
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