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Medford girl recovering after pit bull attack By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Jackson County Animal Control officers continue to look for the owner of a full-grown female pit bull that apparently attacked a 12-year-old girl and her dachshund in Medford Monday afternoon. The victim, Tiffany Hellervik, received medical treatment for bruising and puncture wounds on her arms following the attack. She was not hospitalized, said her father, Mark Hellervik. According to Colleen Macuk, director of the Jackson County Animal Shelter, the pit bull was running loose with an adult Siberian husky when it allegedly attacked Monday afternoon. Both dogs were captured and quarantined following the incident. The husky - which did not attack or bite Tiffany - had identification tags and its owner has been contacted, Macuk said. That dog is being held because it also reportedly attacked the dachshund. Macuk said the pit bull wasn't wearing a collar or identification tags and the search for her owner continues. "We have a few leads," Macuk said. "That's still under investigation." Mark Hellervik said his daughter was walking her dog, Penny, on a leash at a trailer park off Rossanley Drive when the dogs attacked. He said the two dogs rushed Tiffany, a sixth-grader at Phoenix Middle School. Tiffany reportedly picked up Penny and began screaming. "She got in the middle of it when the dog meant to attack her dog," Macuk said. Hellervik said a neighbor heard the screaming and came rushing out. He scared the two dogs away and contacted Medford police, Hellervik added. Penny was more seriously injured in the incident and required numerous stitches, Hellervik said. "She was really ripped apart," he said, but added the dachshund is expected to make a full recovery. Animal control officers were able to capture both dogs after the attack without incident. Macuk said if the pit bull's owner cannot be found, it will be euthanized when a 10-day quarantine ends - a decision sanctioned by the county's dangerous dog ordinance. "This dog and the damage it did ... this is definitely one we're going to request the right that the dog be euthanized," Macuk said. "She's very animal aggressive." Once located, the pit bull's owner has the right to appeal the county's decision, Macuk said. "The owner is ultimately responsible for the child and the pet's medical treatment," she added. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.