TOPSHAM — Doctors aren’t sure whether a Wiscasset toddler will retain her vision after she was bitten in the face by her babysitter’s dog Tuesday, police said.
The girl is undergoing treatment at a Boston hospital after suffering serious eye injuries in the attack Tuesday afternoon at a Raymond Road residence, where she was at a home with the dog’s owner.
Following the attack, the toddler was airlifted as far as Sanford, where the helicopter was forced to land due to bad weather. The girl was then taken to Tufts Medical Center in Boston by ambulance.
Police believe the girl is either 17 months or 18 months old.
Topsham Police Lt. Fred Dunn said Wednesday that the girl’s condition isn’t life-threatening.
A spokesperson for Tufts did not release the girl’s condition Wednesday because the hospital had not received clearance from the girl’s guardians.
The toddler lives with her grandparents in Wiscasset.
Topsham Police Sgt. Robert Ramsay said the dog was an 8-year-old boxer, and that the dog and child have spent time together since the child was a newborn.
According to Dunn, the babysitter was cooking dinner when the child put her hand on the back of the dog. The dog then turned and bit the child on the face.
“Apparently (the babysitter) witnessed the whole thing,” Dunn said, adding that the babysitter reportedly had to hit the dog to get it off the child.
The dog was taken to Coastal Humane Society for a 10-day quarantine as required by law. Dunn said the owners are planning to euthanize the dog.
Dunn said there was no issue of neglect on the part of the dog’s owners, or complaints of the dog having been aggressive in the past. The incident is not being investigated further and charges aren’t expected, he said.
“It just happened to be an unfortunate accident,” Dunn said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Darcie Moore can be contacted at:
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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