A 5-year-old girl from Brunswick was seriously injured when she was bitten in the face by a dog in Topsham on Wednesday morning.
Topsham police say a family on Katie Lane was babysitting the girl when the homeowner’s year-old German shepherd mix unexpectedly bit the child, who was petting the dog at the time.
The girl sustained severe cuts to her face and was rushed to Maine Medical Center in Portland via LifeFlight helicopter, Topsham police said.
The dog did not display any indication of agitation or aggressive behavior toward the victim or other children in the home before the bite. The owners cooperated fully with police and the dog does not have any history of aggressive behavior, police said.
The owners of the dog elected to have the animal euthanized immediately and volunteered to have its brain tested by the Department of Health and Human Services lab to check for rabies.
All of the dog’s vaccinations were up to date, police said.
“There are no criminal charges pending in this tragic incident,” Topsham police said in a statement.
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