ST PAUL, Minn. — Police say five dogs involved in an attack on a 7-year-old girl in St. Paul Thursday have been surrendered to authorities.
The attack took place on the 600 block of Van Buren Ave. late Thursday afternoon after the child, identified by her family as Sumaya Farah Ali, got off her bus. She and her mother were headed home when the dogs ran out of a nearby yard and began biting the child, who suffered injuries to her face and leg.
Police say the attack continued for several minutes, only stopping when a neighbor ran out to scare the dogs away.
Late Friday, St. Paul Police spokesman Sgt. Mike Ernster said investigators were able to identify the owner of the animals, and said the five dogs were surrendered to animal control. On Monday, Ernster told KARE 11 that the case has been forwarded to the St. Paul City Attorney for consideration of charges.
At this point there is no word on the fate of the dogs.
A GoFundMe has been established to help the family pay for medical expenses.
Safety experts advise taking a moment to learn what an aggressive dog looks like and how to react if you are attacked. Aggressive dogs may growl, lunge, bark, bare teeth, lick lips, flatten ears, bite or snap in your direction.
The Minnesota Safety Council says if you're approached by a dog that might attack, don't scream or run, as the dog's instinct is to chase. Instead, stand still with your hands at your sides, avoid eye contact and slowly back away as the dog loses interest.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: