Pack of dogs mauls 10-year-old girl roller-skating in NC neighborhood, family says
A 10-year-old North Carolina girl is on the mend after a pack of dogs attacked in her neighborhood last week.
Family members say Emerald Moore was taking her new roller skates for a spin when at least five dogs mauled her near her grandmother’s home in Maxton on Friday, WPDE reported.
“I fell and they came running after me, then went on top of me,” Moore said, according to the station. “One was scratching my stomach to keep me holded so the other one can bite me.”
The attack left her with several bite marks and more than 50 lacerations across her body, WPDE reported.
Moore was airlifted to UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill “in critical but stable condition” over the weekend, according to The Robesonian. Officials said her condition has improved, although she still faces “a long road to recovery.”
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and said officials have seized the dogs involved in Friday’s attack, according to the Associated Press. Bill Smith, director of the county’s health department, said they will be held for observation to determine if their bites were life-threatening.
“If so, the animals would be candidates for euthanizing, with appeal rights,” Smith said, according to The Robesonian.
The dogs reportedly belong to one of Moore’s neighbors, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Damien McLean told McClatchy News.
As part of the investigation, witnesses will be asked if they observed the dogs acting aggressively in the past, authorities said, according to the Associated Press. The district attorney’s office will ultimately decide if charges will be filed.
In an update, Moore’s mother, Raven Moore, said her daughter is doing better and could be released from the hospital Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Just waiting on the doctor’s okay and the rest of the paperwork and such,” Raven Moore wrote in a Facebook post. “First they’ll be giving Emma the rest of her meds and hopefully we can come on home.”
McClatchy News reached out to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office for comment Wednesday and is awaiting response.
This story was originally published December 23, 2020 at 11:55 AM.