12-year-old recovering after dog attacks her in Delaware County backyard, family says

CHESTER, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A young girl is recovering after her family says she was attacked by a dog while playing in a Delaware County backyard this week.

"My daughter could have lost her life," said Robert Scott, Ryann's father.

Scott said his 12-year-old daughter was attacked on Sunday.

Now, he says she is receiving treatment at Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, and trying to recover from the trauma.

Scott said she had to go back to the hospital Thursday because doctors believed her wounds were infected.

"She's in good spirits but she's just traumatized," said Scott. "She keeps talking about what the dog was doing when it bit her and how it was shaking and dragging her."

Scott said Ryann was playing in her friend's backyard on Elsinore Place in Chester, Pennsylvania when the neighbor let their pit bull outside.

He says the dog jumped the fence and bit Ryann several times.

"She said the whole time while the dog was attacking her, she put her head down and balled up," said Scott.

Scott said thankfully, a neighbor jumped in to help.

"He threw a fan at the dog, and that's how my daughter was able to run up the steps and get away from the dog," said Scott. "He definitely saved her."

Ryann's mother, Andrea Dennis, said she rushed Ryann to the hospital after she realized her daughter had very deep bites on her arms and thigh.

"When I picked her up, you could literally see pieces of her flesh on her," said Dennis. "She was screaming and hollering saying she felt like she was going to faint."

The Chester police commissioner said authorities are investigating this incident.

He said because the department doesn't have an animal control unit, they notified the Delaware County Health Department.

Ryann's parents are focused on her health, but they also urge city leaders to improve their pet attack response and protocols.

"We just have to deal with the pain of not having any of this resolved as well as the traumatic experience we went through," said Dennis.

"I would like to see justice for my daughter," said Scott. "I want her to feel some type of relief instead of her being traumatized for the rest of her life."

Action News went to the dog owner's house and reached out by phone, but no one answered.

As of now, no charges have been filed in this case.