Dog Mauls Teenager Who Stroked Animal, Girl Suffers Gruesome Injuries

A teenage girl was mauled by a large dog while she was walking home from school with her friends in Liverpool, England. According to local reports, the 13-year-old was attacked by the animal when she came close to it to stroke the canine.

Ruby Crossland from Kirkdale tried to pet the dog — believed to be an Akita — when it lunged at her face and sank its teeth into her arm, leaving a gaping wound with blood "everywhere," she said while talking to U.K.'s Mirror.

The girl was traumatized following the incident and was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital for treatment.

"I was on way my home from school on Friday afternoon and we were running under [a] flyover," the girl told local media. "One of my friends ran ahead, and then started stroking this big dog. But when I went to stroke it the dog went for me... I managed to pull my face away, but it got my arm. There was blood everywhere and I was crying for my mum."

Crossland said the dog's owner insulted and taunted her friends.

"He called one of them a 'fat cow' and said to the lads 'what are you going to do about it?'," she said. "My mates took me back to school, and I was taken to the first aid room... The police came, and took photographs of my arm."

The girl said she believed that the dog was an Akita, a type known for its loyalty, intelligence, strength, and thick, plush coats.

"This was a horrendous incident and we are furious with the man who let his dog off the lead," the girl's stepdad, Paul Williamson, said. "He hurled vile abuse at schoolkids and then just made off. I want the police to catch up with him as soon as possible. Ruby is ok but she could have been scarred for life. We are livid."