THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 24, 1996 TAG: 9606240043
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 29 lines
A 3-year-old Willard Park girl was hospitalized late Saturday after she was mauled by a neighbor's pit bull on three separate occasions earlier in the evening, police said Sunday.
The victim, identified as Tiffany Robinson of the 1000 block of St. Julian Ave., suffered multiple bites on her head, neck and leg. She was treated at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and released Sunday morning, police spokesman Larry Hill said.
The dog, a 2-year-old male named Buddy, was taken by an animal control officer but died of exhaustion shortly afterward, Hill said. The animal was examined Sunday by the Health Department and tested negative for rabies.
The dog was owned by the Rev. Melvin Stackhouse, who lives near the victim, Hill said.
The first of the attacks occurred shortly before 8 p.m., Hill said, when the animal broke from its chain and jumped the child on her front porch.
The animal was pulled from the little girl by family members and it was returned to Stackhouse's yard, according to police, but returned twice more to attack her.
After the third attack the girl's mother and a friend took her to the hospital, Hill said.
KEYWORDS: DOG BITE PIT BULL INJURIES by CNB