Pit bull attacks 14-year-old girl waiting for school bus

A child was injured after being attacked by dog while waiting at a bus stop on Friday morning.

The 14-year-old girl was waiting for a school bus around 6:30 a.m. on Heathsville Road when a dog described as a "brown and white pit bull" attacked the teen, causing injuries.

WRAL News was told the student got on the bus, went to school and told someone there. The child was then treated at ECU Health North in Roanoke Rapids.

The dog was still on the loose after the attack. The dog had to be maced, and it took two animal control officers to capture it. The dog is being quarantined and deemed dangerous.

Animal control officials said they believe the dog dug out of a fenced yard.

The girl's family has complained three times about stray dogs at the bus stop since 2022, but this is the first time they'd had issues with this specific dog.

The student is an eighth-grader at William R. Davie Middle STEM Academy. The school released a statement, saying, "We are encouraging our communities to be cognizant of keeping their animals contained near all bus stops, as our students should feel safe while waiting to get to school. Our thoughts are with the student and their family."

Animal control officials gave this advice: If a dog approaches you, don't run! If it begins to attack you, get on the ground and curl up in a ball, covering your head and face.