Pet Dog Viciously Attacks, Bites Off 9-Year-Old Girl's Ear Lobe, Canine's Owner Booked

In a horrific incident, a pet dog attacked a nine-year-old girl and bit off her ear lobe in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Thursday.

Local media reports said that the dog -- a boxer -- reached the scene of the incident in a car with his owner who lived in Mohali city. The girl, identified by her first name Harshita, lived in the same area and had gone to the market to run some errands.

The dog stepped out of the vehicle and attacked the girl by grabbing her ear with his jaws, local newspaper, the Hindustan Times reported. The girl immediately called her father and informed him about the attack. Her father then arrived at the scene and notified the police. The girl then was rushed to a private hospital by other family members.

The victim's father urged the police to file a complaint against the dog owner. After arriving at the scene, the police spoke to the father and later recorded the victim's statement.

“We have booked the dog owner under Section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” local police officer Rajnish Choudhary told the Hindustan Times.

However, the fate of the pet dog remains unclear. It was also not revealed if the pet owner was taken into custody.

Last month in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab, an eight-year-old girl was mauled by a pit bull while she was playing outside her home. The dog, who reportedly did not have an owner, bit the girl's wrist. Police later revealed the girl who was attacked received treatment and was not in danger. The fate of the dog was not revealed at the time.