Dog Attacks 3-Year-Old Girl

A 3-year-old Laguna Niguel girl was hospitalized Sunday afternoon after she was bitten by a dog while riding her tricycle, police said.

The girl, whose name was not available, was riding her bike on the sidewalk along Queens Road when she was bitten by a large white dog, said Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis DeMaio.

The girl was bitten on her face, including her nose and upper lip. The injuries are not considered life-threatening, DeMaio said. The girl was in stable condition at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, where a plastic surgeon had sutured “severe lacerations,” a hospital spokeswoman said.

Orange County Animal Control picked up the dog after the attack and quarantined it, primarily to check it for rabies, DeMaio said.

If officials determine that the dog does not have rabies and is not a menace, it will probably be returned to its owners. However, the owners will probably receive a citation for letting the dog roam without a leash, DeMaio said.