Devonport girl seriously injured after pit bull attack, dog euthanised by council

The seven-year-old girl has undergone surgery for ‘serious and substantial’ facial and head injuries.

A young Tasmanian girl has been left with serious facial injuries after she was attacked by a dog.

The seven-year-old was at a house on Nicholls St, Devonport on Wednesday, when at about 7.40pm the residents’ pitbull lunged at her.

She was taken to the Launceston General Hospital with “serious and substantial” injuries to her face, head, neck and jaw.

She has since undergone surgery.

While the dog had initially been removed from the property and its owners refused to tell police where it was, the animal has since been euthanised.

Tasmania Police say they are “continuing to investigate if any offence has been committed under the Dog Control Act”.

It’s understood the young girl and the dog had met before.

Inspector Steve Jones said the scene was “quite horrific”.

“There was a lot of blood,” he said on Thursday.