A seven-year-old girl was left with severe injuries after a pack of stray dogs attacked her while she was playing outside.
The child had her ‘scalp ripped off’ and her legs ‘shredded’ in the terrifying ambush and was ‘fighting for her life’ while being rushed to hospital for ‘advanced treatment’.
Named Patricia Edmiston, the youngster was mauled by the vicious strays on Saturday at approximately 12:30pm near where she lives in Corning, California, roughly 170 miles southwest of San Francisco.
Afterwards, the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that six dogs believed to be involved had been seized by police and taken to the Tehama County Animal Shelter.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Currently, it is unknown what breeds the dogs were or who might have had ownership of them.
Police did not initially name Edmiston, but she was identified publicly by her grandmother, Monica Edmiston.
She created a GoFundMe for the family, detailing on the page how her ‘precious’ granddaughter has been ‘left with numerous wounds all over her body’.
The fundraiser added: ‘She was rushed to UC Davis, where she has already undergone surgery and remains in critical condition. Patricia is an incredibly strong little girl, and her resilience is inspiring everyone around her.’
With her ‘father and brothers by her side every day’, the family now faces ‘enormous challenges’.
Monica explained that they must sleep in their car in Sacramento to be close to the hospital, requiring financial help to ‘cover basic necessities like gas and food’, since UC Davis is about 100 miles south of Corning.
‘The emotional and financial strain is overwhelming, and every bit of support will make a real difference for them during this unimaginable time,’ she pleaded.
Monica has continued posting on the website, keeping donors updated on Edmiston’s condition.
On July 1, she uploaded photos of the little one lying in bed, wearing a pair of colourful pyjamas as she played with toys. She had a huge bandage around her head and a cast on her left arm.
Monica penned: ‘Patricia is doing so good she gets to come home on Thursday. Patricia and her family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, thoughts, and donations. The love the town of Corning showed was overwhelming. God bless you all’.
The target for the fundraiser was originally set at $3,000 (£2.25k). The total has since exceeded $4k.
Meanwhile, police processed the scene and have interviewed several witnesses. No arrests have been made almost a week later.
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