Several dogs attack girl in St. Paul neighborhood

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 7-year-old girl sustained significant injuries after being attacked by a group of dogs in St. Paul on Thursday evening.  

According to police, the girl was leaving the bus stop and walking with her mother near the 600 block of Van Buren Avenue in St. Paul when a group of dogs appeared from one of the yards and attacked the girl.

Police arrived at the scene just before 5 p.m. and said the dogs were scared away by a good Samaritan before they arrived. 

The girl sustained multiple bite injuries to her head and leg, and police said she was transported to Children’s Hospital with significant but not life-threatening injuries. She is back home from the hospital.

Speaking with FOX 9, her brother Abdi Ahmed, translating for their parents, listed her injuries: "The dogs bit her everywhere. Her thigh, her face, her nose, her ears. It’s just, it’s ridiculous. They’re saying there’s a big chunk of her ear missing as well… Every time mom would try to catch, to stop one of the dogs, another dog would jump in and take over. It’s just only a mom and her daughter, so it’s very tough for her to have done anything."

Authorities said the initial caller reported five to seven dogs were involved in the attack and described them as pit bulls.

A neighbor, John Albert, spoke with FOX 9, saying, "I guess the attack happened right here … and they bit her in the face, then she also got bit in the back of the head right here and had her down on the ground. And I believe they were going after her backpack, so if she hadn’t had her backpack on, it might have been a lot worse."

A neighbor’s security camera captured the entire incident and police are examining that, as well.

Sgt. Mike Ernster with the St. Paul Police Department said investigators have spoken with both city and county attorneys to determine criminal consequences once they find the probable cause that links specific dogs and their owner to the attack.

"We would try to look for any charges that would match what the investigation is coming up with. What that is, we don’t know yet," he said.

An update provided by St. Paul police late Friday said all five dogs involved had been surrendered to St. Paul Animal Control, and the owner is cooperating.

A GoFundMe has since been created to help Sumaya Farah Ali recover from the attack.