Honk News (Marshall, MN) – In a troubling incident, a 6-year-old girl was seriously injured by three dogs at her babysitter’s residence in southwestern Minnesota, authorities reported on Thursday.
On January 26, an incident took place at a home in Ghent, located approximately 6 miles northwest of Marshall, according to Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen.
An online initiative has been launched to assist the family with medical costs, revealing that Zoey Winter was hospitalized in Sioux Falls following an incident that resulted in numerous bite wounds on her arm, sides, and legs, with particularly serious injuries to her right ear.
The sheriff reported that the owner of the dogs had brought them along during her visit to the babysitter’s residence.
Wallen reported that the dogs identified as “pit bull or pit-bull mix breed” were taken from the residence, quarantined at a kennel in Marshall, and labeled as dangerous on January 27. The owner of the dogs, a 43-year-old woman from Ghent, has a 14-day period from the declaration’s commencement to contest the designation.
The sheriff announced that investigative reports are currently being forwarded to the County Attorney’s Office for potential charges to be considered. The individual chose not to reveal the identity of the dogs’ owner prior to a decision regarding charges being made.
“Her mother, Casey, was at work when the attack happened, but she has not left Zoey’s side since,” the online campaign read. “With Casey needing to take time off work to care for her daughter, and Zoey being out of school for the foreseeable future, this has placed an enormous emotional and financial burden on their family.”