Vancouver Sun - December 24, 2002 http://www.macecanada.com/mauling.htm

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Mauled girl's face shredded:

VANCOUVER -- A teenager who was viciously attacked by a pair of dogs looked like she had been mauled by a wild animal, says a plastic surgeon who spent more than eight hours operating on the girl's face, head and left arm.

Dr. James Boyle said yesterday that the entire right side of Shenica White's face was shredded.

"This is the equivalent of a bear or cougar attack that really to me, in an unqualified way, looks like an animal looking for a meal," Boyle said.

Shenica, 14, is expected to undergo years of reconstructive surgery to repair the life-changing damage from the attack early Sunday.

Viviana Zanocco, spokesman for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, said the teen will have some skin grafts in the next couple of days.

"She was dragged down the road by these dogs by her hair so part of her scalp came off and detached from her skin," Zanocco said.

The animals will be put down, police said.

Const. Sarah Bloor, a spokesman for the Vancouver police department, said the owner has agreed to have the dogs euthanized. Police are also trying to determine if a charge of criminal negligence causing bodily harm will be laid against the owner.

But that would require a history of similar aggressive behaviour by the dogs, Bloor said.

Police are also assessing the dogs' living conditions to assure the owner's yard was suitable for them, Bloor said.

The girl was attacked at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday while walking back to a slumber party with a friend.

The teens had just returned from walking another girl home about a block away.

That's when the two mastiffs pounced.

Bloor praised the quick actions of neighbours, who heard the girls screaming and ran out of their homes with pots, pans and sticks to ward off the dogs.

"As the friend watched in horror the neighbours assisted the girl that was harmed, getting the dogs off the girl.

"We couldn't have had the success with this young lady in surviving without the community being there."

The animals may have escaped from their owner's back yard through an open gate, Bloor said. The man reported his pets missing Sunday morning and had no idea what had happened overnight when he went to pick up his dogs at the city pound several hours later, she said.

"He's absolutely devastated," Bloor said. "He wasn't expecting to be met by a detective and advised that he was under investigation."

The man released a statement yesterday, saying he wishes he could turn back time.

"I never intended this to happen," he said. "I would do anything for the girl involved in the incident."