Two-year-old Lonie is making progress after a “vicious” dog attack while she and her parents were staying at her uncle’s home.
Tyreisha Hendrickson, Lonie’s mother, revealed that her brother has an XL American bully. According to her, she was not concerned about the dog because “his confidence made us relax more. I felt that he knew what he was doing with his animal.”
READ ALSO: Man says his ex, who is 30 years younger, stole 8 of his properties worth over $1.1m
RELATED STORIES
Hendrickson said she had just set Lonie down at the bottom of the stairs when the animal from outside forced through a couch barrier and ran toward her.
Richard McNeal, the toddler’s father, told Fox 5, “When it caught her face, really everything kind of blurred in that moment. It felt so unreal.”
He added, “The only thing I could hear is snarls and growls. It’s just vicious honestly.”
According to the parents, Lonie screamed while the dog had her face in its mouth. Hendrickson inserted her hand into the dog’s mouth, and it finally released. But when Lonie stopped making sounds, the parents said they felt it was too late.
“We thought she was dead. She had a blank stare at the sky,” McNeal said.
They took her to the hospital. The family said that the dog was taken away when animal control arrived.
READ ALSO: Over $340K raised for autistic 5-year-old called N-word by White Minnesota mom
The parents noticed their other children playing with the dog not long before the attack.
Meanwhile, during Fox 5’s visit, Lonie was as energetic as a toddler, according to the site.
Her father remarked, “I don’t think she knows the dog got her.”
And though the dog was taken away, McNeal said, “I think the dog needs to be put down because it’s definitely dangerous, and it was not provoked at all. There was no reason for it to do that.”
Lonie’s family has set up a GoFundMe to aid with medical bills as she continues to require follow-up appointments.
Cathy Brooks, a canine behaviorist in Las Vegas, recommended that parents teach their children never to crawl into a dog’s area or reach out their hand. If a dog does not approach you to smell you, leave it alone, she said.
According to Brooks, once a dog has viciously attacked, the chances of it biting again are over 50%.
READ ALSO: Over $600K raised for White Minnesota mom who called 5-year-old autistic boy the N-word
