3 California children mauled by pack of escaped dogs; 5-year-old girl remains critical

3 Calif. children mauled by pack of escaped dogs

FONTANA, Calif. — A 5-year-old California girl who was mauled along with two siblings by a pack of escaped dogs remained hospitalized Tuesday and was unable to breath on her own, police said.

The girl, whose name was not released, was walking with her mother and three siblings along train tracks when they were attacked Monday afternoon by five dogs that escaped a nearby yard by digging under a fence, said Fontana police Sgt. Jeff Decker.

One dog, a mastiff, pulled the girl from her mother’s hand and “and tossed the child around like a rag doll,” Decker said.

The girl suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and numerous bites. She remained hospitalized in critical condition and was breathing with the help of a ventilator, Decker said.

Her brother, who is about 7, also remained hospitalized after needing 237 staples to close a leg wound, he said.

The girl’s sister, who is about 8, was treated for leg and arm injuries, Decker said.

Shortly after the attack, police found the dogs near their home. One was shot when it attacked an officer and the other four — the mastiff and what appeared to be pit bull mixes — were taken to an animal shelter, Decker said.

They were quarantined until it is determined whether they have rabies and whether they should be destroyed, he said.

The owners, who cooperated with police, could be cited for failing to properly confine their pets but they were not immediately ticketed, he said.

“My understanding is they are very sorry about what happened,” Decker said.

Fontana is in San Bernardino County, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.