Girl loses smile after family's rescue pup becomes a 'man-eater' within 24 hours
This little girl is now missing half her smile after the family's rescue puppy turned into a 'man-eater' within 24 hours - devouring some of her cheek.
Rebekka Bolline fostered three-year-old pooch Tater Tot from a local animal shelter on March 15, after three-year-old daughter Emily Roark asked for a pet dog.
However, the mum-of-two thought the toddler was going to die when Tater Tot "ate some of Emily's face" the following day.
Emily was softly stroking the dog's back as they sat on the living room floor together when the pet turned and snapped at the child's face, sinking its teeth into her cheeks and lip.
The pup then began to brutally shake the child from side to side as mum Rebekka screamed "in terror" and tried to get him to unlatch his teeth.
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Mum Rebekka Bolline with three-year-old daughter Emily before the attack (Kennedy News & Media)
Rebekka believes cross breed rescue dog Tater Tot had some Pitbull in him (Kennedy News & Media)After the dog released its grip seconds later, the traumatised tot was swiftly driven to the Slidell Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, US - but the damage had been done.
The shocking attack left Emily with half of her right cheek hanging off, as Rebekka claims that the dog "ate through" her face and "ingested" some of her flesh.
The resulting muscle damage has left the youngster unable to smile on one side of her face.
Rebekka claims she was told the dog was a Labrador-retriever mix but now fears it had some Pitbull in it.
She says Emily and Tater Tot were "very sweet together" and the dog even let the tot kiss it on the snout, making the bite wholly unexpected.
Emily was desperate to have a puppy (Kennedy News & Media)The stay-at-home mum claims she will "never trust a dog again" and is warning other parents not to adopt a dog if they have young children.
Rebekka, from Slidell, Louisiana, US, said: "They had a good relationship. The dog let her kiss her face, on the snout, let her pet her and everything.
"The little bit of time that they were around each other, they were very sweet with each other.
"Emily came downstairs and she was petting the dog from the back of the neck to his back, very, very softly.
The dog bit through Emily's cheek and ate some of her flesh (Kennedy News & Media)
Emily is unable to smile on one side of her face (Kennedy News & Media)"In a matter of seconds, it barked and latched on her face and then started shaking her side to side, while I'm screaming, 'get off my baby, get off my baby', in terror.
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"When the dog bit and latched onto her, she didn't make a sound. Her body went limp and she was being thrown all over the place.
"At that moment, I just thought that she wasn't going to make it and that she was going to die. I didn't know how to help her.
"I couldn't get the dog off her. I kept screaming. I don't remember how I got the dog off - I blocked it out.
Rebekka thought she would lose her daughter (Kennedy News & Media)"Maybe the dog unlatched itself, because it didn't bite me.
"Her cheek was chewed up very badly. The dog ingested some of her face.
"I will never trust a dog ever again. It snapped for no reason."
Emily was transferred to Children's International Paediatrics Hospital in New Orleans, US, where a plastic surgeon stitched up the gouges on the toddler's cheeks, lip and inside the mouth.
Despite being discharged on March 17, Emily's recovery is far from over, as muscle damage caused by the attack has left the injured child unable to smile on the right side of her face.
Tater Tot was taken away by animal control whilst the family was in hospital, and has since been euthanised.
Rebekka claims that the experience has caused her to have "nightmares" and that the bite has left Emily with a "fear of animals".
The traumatised mum is now warning other parents with young children to avoid adopting a dog, as you "never know what is going to happen".
The family are now awaiting surgery that will hopefully repair the muscles in Emily's face, and are trying to raise funds to cover their medical bills.
Rebekka said: "They said that the dog chewed up [her right cheek] quite a bit, so it took her muscle.
"They said she won't be able to smile on that side of her face.
"She has stitches inside of her mouth because the dog ate through her face completely.
"Every once in a while, she's in a lot of pain she'll point to herself and say, 'mummy I die, mummy I die. Puppy was hungry,' which is heart-breaking.
"When she's feeling better, she'll colour or she'll paint a little bit. My whole family is trying to get her things to entertain her because she can't really get up and play right now.
"Before the incident, she was a mommy's girl. She always did sleep with me, but now it's like she can't fall asleep on her own at all.
"She's doing better than what I would have anticipated, but she's definitely got that fear of animals now and she used to love animals.
"She was the whole reason we got a dog, because she kept asking for a puppy.
"If you have kids, just don't adopt a dog, because you never know what's going to happen.
"Maybe if you get a dog from being a puppy and raise it [that's different]. But if you have kids, don't adopt a dog. It's not worth it."
You can donate to Rebekka's GoFundMe here.
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