A young girl had to be airlifted to a hospital after suffering facial injuries during a dog attack on Long Island that also left two adults hurt, according to police.
The attack occurred just before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, as officers responded to a home on Lantern Road in Hicksville after they were called about a dog bite. Once they arrived, the officers saw two dogs, two women and the young girl, Nassau County police said.
The child's mother and another woman suffered leg injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, according to police. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear, but they were expected to be OK. The girl was airlifted to Cohens Children's Hospital for treatment of her facial injuries, and she is expected to recover.
Police secured the dogs and animal control was called in order to take the animals away.
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"It sounded like someone was being stabbed," said Deborah Wintersaler, who lives next door to the home where the attack occurred. "The little girl wandered down the driveway covered in blood an half her face missing over here."
Wintersaler went to the young girl to console and cradle her until police arrived.
"I tried to comfort her. I sat down with her on the lawn, I held her in-between my legs and I was holding her like this and she kept going in and out of shock," she said. "She asked me if I could tell her a story, so I made up a story just to keep her calm. She kept trying to touch her face but I wouldn’t let her touch her face, I didn't want her to feel that."
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Police have not shared further details, including what kind of dogs were involved. Others who live in the area were unaware there were even dogs living in the house.
It was not known if charges would be filed. An investigation was ongoing.