7-year-old recoversafter her mauling
A seven-year-old girl who was attacked by three dogs in the care of a government ministry will get financial support for the mauling that left her with 17 bite marks.
The girl, who is listed in a stable condition, is not out of danger yet because there is still a risk that her wounds could become infected.
According to the girl's parents, the dogs belong to a ministry's transportation department - it is not known which ministry - and are used to help guard cars from the risk of theft. The girl was attacked after someone left a door open and the dogs were able to leave their compound.
The deputy director of the transportation department visited the hospital on Saturday afternoon, one day after the incident, promising the department would do all it can for the girl.
The one-meter-tall child who weighs around 15kg was on her way home when she was mauled. After being knocked to the ground by a large dog, she kept still and pretended to be dead in the hope that the dogs would stop their attack. Her parents found her half an hour later and she was taken to Peking University People's Hospital for emergency treatment.
The girl's parents are farmers who grow spinach in Tongzhou district.
They said they were relieved when the ministry agreed to take responsibility for the incident.
Fang Zheng, the girl's father, said: "No one wanted this tragedy to happen. But since it has already happened, we feel relieved that someone is standing up and taking responsibility."
The girl's mother, Xu Decui, told METRO she did not sleep for two days after the attack.
"It's lucky she is still alive," said Xu. "She has had more than 30 stitches. We are worrying about possible disfigurement because of the injury to her face and the bites on her left ear broke a bone, which may cause an abnormally shaped ear."
The deputy director of the transportation department said she took cash to the hospital as soon as she heard about the attack.
She said: "We've told her parents to keep all the receipts. And we will offer more in case she needs more surgery in the future."
A woman who had been in the same room said it seemed like the ministry only took responsibility because of the huge media pressure. "No one came here on the first day. They only came here after so many journalists reported the news," said the woman, who did not want to be identified.
(China Daily 01/11/2010 page26)
