Girl taken to hospital after dog attack

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A 6-year-old girl is recovering this weekend after being viciously attacked by a pit bull terrier. Senior Officer Dennis Farris said the attack occurred on Sunday morning, just after 11 a.m. in the 3300 block of Susquehanna Lane, near the intersection of U.S. 183 and Springdale Road.

Cara Ordonez, 6, was bitten in the face and the neck. Ordonez was transported to Dell Children's Hospital where she underwent surgery.

"She's been doing okay," said Juan Maldonado. "I just got back from the hospital and talked with the doctor and the doctor says she is doing well. She's okay and that makes me happy because my biggest concern was that."

Maldonado said he was working in San Antonio when his son called him to tell him that Ordonez was attacked by the family pet, a pit bull terrier while playing in the backyard.

Maldonado says this was the first time something like this has happened.

"The dog was a real nice dog," said Maldonado. "I was surprised when they called me with what happened."

Pat Walker, who lives down the street, said she was surprised too.

An owner of three pit bulls herself, she said she has never had any problems with her own dogs and was shocked to hear about what happened with her neighbor's pit bull.

"It looked like the dog never was a problem as many times as we passed by, it was never loose, it was always in the backyard," said Walker. "So, it makes you wonder what happened. What made that dog snap."

Although Ordonez is doing better, Maldonado surrendered his dog to animal control saying he doesn't want to have anything to do with it anymore.

"I don't want to see the dog anymore, not after this happened," said Maldonado. "I don't know if this is going to happen again. I don't want it."

The dog was euthanized on Sunday afternoon and tested for rabies.

Health officials say the results should be in some time before Tuesday.