Sisters, mother attacked by dog in Wood County

10/16/2009

BAIRDSTOWN, Ohio - An 8-year-old girl from southeastern Wood County was flown to a Toledo hospital after she was mauled by a dog yesterday, authorities said.

When the girl's 11-year-old sister saw the attack and tried to help, she too was attacked, as was the girls' mother, Stephanie Rock, when she came to the assistance of her daughters, according to sheriff's deputies. The girls' father, Steven Rock, shot and killed the dog.

The girls' names, and the Toledo hospital the younger one was taken to, were unavailable last night.

The attack occurred about 3:15 p.m. at the Rocks' home in an area north of Bairdstown.

County Dog Warden Rodney Cook said he was the first official to arrive at the scene.

The dead dog, he said, had no identification. It weighed 40 to 50 pounds and appeared to be an English bulldog-pit bull mix. It had no scars and did not appear to be a fighting dog. The dog's head was removed and will be sent to a Columbus lab to be tested for rabies, Mr. Cook said.

Mr. Cook said he got a call about the dog running loose in the area Wednesday, and another one yesterday morning. The second call came from a woman who said the dog was hanging around her barn and growled at her.

The dog warden said he was setting a trap for the dog when he received the call about the attack at the Rock residence, which was about five miles away.

He said the dog probably had been abandoned. Absent any identification on the canine, the chances of finding its owner were "slim to none," he said.