A one-year-old child is recovering in the hospital after a dog attack at a park in Miami.
Around 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, Zoe Petranker of New Jersey was at Beach View Park in Miami Beach with her father, Andy Petranker. According to reports, they noticed a man sitting on a bench with his dog.
Andy Petranker said the dog’s owner told him the animal was safe around children. Zoe briefly petted the dog and walked away. Moments later, she returned and moved around the dog, when it suddenly lunged and bit the right side of her face.
Her father quickly pulled her away and she was taken to Holtz Children’s Hospital. Andy Petranker said Zoe suffered cuts to her lip and cheekbone. He added that the injuries were close to her eye and required nearly 40 stitches.
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Authorities have not confirmed the dog’s breed.
City rules state that dogs are not allowed in public parks, except in designated dog parks. Dogs must also be kept on a leash when entering or leaving those areas. Beach View Park includes playgrounds for children.
Zoe is expected to be evaluated by a plastic surgeon. The family has hired a lawyer.
“The last thing we expect is for something like this to happen at a park,” Andy Petranker said.
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Later that same day, another one-year-old child was attacked by a family dog at a home in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Police said the dog bit the baby while the child’s mother was changing a diaper. The mother was also bitten as she tried to pull the child away.
Officials identified that dog as a six-year-old American Bulldog. Broward County Animal Care and Control removed the animal from the home.
