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Pit Bull Euthanized After Concord Toddler Mauling

CONCORD (CBS SF) - A 2-year-old Concord girl was airlifted to a hospital after being bitten by her family's pit bull on Monday afternoon, a fire official said. County authorities put the animal down early Tuesday.

The dog attacked the girl at a home in the 4300 block of Rose Lane at about 5 p.m.

Contra Costa County Animal Services euthanized the dog Tuesday morning and is working to determine whether it had rabies, the agency's acting deputy director Abe Gamez said.

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Lewis Broschard said the girl suffered injuries to her head and leg.

According to Gamez, the family has had the pit bull since before the girl was born.

Firefighter paramedics treated her at the scene and prepared her for transport by air the girl was born.

Firefighter paramedics treated her at the scene and prepared her for transport by air ambulance to Oakland Children's Hospital, Broschard said.

Animal Services impounded the dog at the scene after its owners surrendered it, Gamez said. After the dog was euthanized, its remains were sent to the county health lab, which will conduct tests to determine whether it carried the rabies virus.

Although rabies may also be detected by quarantining the animal for 10 days and watching for symptoms, Gamez said animal services euthanizes a potentially infected animal for faster testing "wherever we have a case where the victim has suffered wounds to the head-face-neck area" because the virus, which affects the brain, has a shorter distance to travel.

Gamez said the results are expected within days.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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