8-year-old girl attacked by pit bull in Delaware

Newark Police continue to investigate a dog attack that left a child in critical condition.

The dog, described as a pit bull breed, attacked an 8-year-old girl at a home on the unit block of Adelene Drive in Newark around 1 p.m. Saturday.

The girl’s 15-year-old sister was in the room at the time of the incident and called police.

When officers arrived, the dog, which lived with the family, remained in the room and the 15-year-old was able to carry the injured child from the room. According to police, the dog remained aggressive and was shot by an officer at the scene.

The 8-year-old was taken to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children and then airlifted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were she had surgery to re-attach her arm.

The child is the daughter of Newark City Councilman Todd Ruckle. The city released a brief statement on the family’s behalf through social media.

“The Ruckle family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, but have asked that the media and public respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

This is the second headline making dog attack in Delaware this year. In May, a 4-year-old was killed by a trio of pit bulls outside a home in Felton.