By Melissa Meehan
THE dog that mauled a four-year-old Pakenham girl last week has been put down after it was assessed by vets.
The Rhodesian ridgeback was owned by a family friend of the girl and was staying at their Ryan Road property.
It is believed to have somehow escaped the enclosure it was being contained in with a number of other dogs before attacking the girl on Tuesday night last week.
Four-year-old Katie was flown to the Royal Childrens Hospital with serious head injuries after she was set upon by the unregistered six-month old pup.
She was out of surgery and expected to make a full recovery on Wednesday afternoon when stepdad Dale Morrison spoke to the Gazette.
The girl’s step father says he doesn’t hold a grudge against its owner.
“Obviously it’s been a tough time for us,” Mr Morrison said.
“But I would like to clear up that it was a friend’s dog.
“Our friend visits and stays with us on a regular basis and brings the dog – we weren’t looking after it.”
He also hit back at claims that the dog was allowed to roam free in their backyard.
“The dog got out,” he said.
“We still don’t know how, but he was locked up in the backyard with the rest of the dogs, and Katie was coming into the house for dinner when she was attacked.”
Mr Morrison said Katie’s family held no grudges against the owner of the dog.
“It is not his fault, it’s the dog’s fault,” he said.
Advanced paramedics arrived at the Ryan Road property not long before 7.30pm to find the girl conscious, very distressed and being comforted by her mother.
“We administered pain relief through a nasal inhaler before intensive care paramedics put a drip in her arm and gave her stronger pain relief which made her more comfortable,” advanced life support paramedic Mike Jevons said.
“She was flown to the Royal Childrens Hospital in a serious condition.”
Cardinia Shire Rangers were called to remove the dog from the Ryan Road property about 8.30pm to find paramedics, police and the air ambulance already there.
Last week the council’s compliance services manager Alan Giachin said the council took dog attacks seriously and that the animal was being held at a pound in Cranbourne until it was assessed by a vet.
On Monday the council confirmed the dog had been euthanised.
Shire spokesman Paul Dunlop said the dog, believed to be a Rhodesian ridgeback, was not a common breed.
This is the first dog attack in the shire in 2012, following more than 100 attacks in 2011 – as a result of these attacks, nine dogs were destroyed.
Rhodesian ridgebacks, originally from southern Africa, were bred to hunt lions and other game.
