A 6-year-old girl was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after she was attacked by a dog in Jacksonville, Florida, authorities said Sunday. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened around 10 a.m. Sunday inside a home in the city’s Arlington neighborhood.
Police said the young girl was unresponsive when they arrived to the scene. She was transported to a nearby hospital by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
The dog, which appeared to be a pit bull mix, was removed from the home on Sunday, police said in a Facebook post. The family was watching the dog while its owner is away on vacation. Police said the family was home at the time of the attack.
Timothy Hightower told CBS Jacksonville affiliate WJAX that he was outside when neighbor ran outside calling for help.
A note posted to the home’s front door asked the residents to contact the Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services within 24 hours, WJAX reports. It informed residents that an animal was impounded and placed in quarantine.
Homicide investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are leading the investigation.