A Las Vegas father is demanding answers after he learned the dog that attacked his daughter was returned to its owner.
"I mean why is it still alive," Jordon Myers said.
Myers' 3-year-old daughter Annabelle is still recovering from the wounds to her face from the attack in early April.
The family was helping relatives move out of a home near Eastern and Hacienda avenues when Myers says he heard a neighbor calling for his dogs.
That’s when Myers says he spotted a pit bull and a Mastiff walking across the street.
He says the pit bull ignored them, but the Mastiff was another story.
"It saw me and stopped in the middle of the road," Myers said. "It wasn't growling. It didn't seem aggressive. It just walked over, and I stuck my hand out."
The father said Annabelle was standing behind him, and he was simply waiting for the owner to come get the dog.
But he says things quickly changed.
"Annabelle stepped out from behind me and said ‘Hi puppy.’ And at that time the owner said ‘don't let the baby by the dog,’” Myers said. "The dog lunged those last two feet, slammed her down to the ground. Had her latched on her head and everything."
Myers says at that point he just reacted.
"I got behind the dog and started choking it, “ Myers said. "I tried to lift the dog up off of Annabelle, and Annabelle came up with the dog."
The dog released Annabelle, who was then taken to University Medical Center.
She had injuries all over the side of her face and needed surgery before being released from the hospital.
A couple days later she was readmitted because of an infection in her injured ear. She remained hospitalized for days.
"I found myself the second night after she was admitted, tears running down my face. I just didn't know what to do. I was helpless," Myers said.
Once his little girl was on the mend, Myers says he turned his attention to the dog.
He began asking questions when he was told the dog was back with its owner, saying he was never notified of Animal Control’s decision to return the dog.
"I don't understand why they would let a dog like that back out in the community," Myers said.
13 Action News reached out to Clark County, but we were told they could not released details because the case was still open.
The spokesperson wouldn’t even discuss where the dog involved in the attack was at the current time.
When our crews headed to the neighborhood, they found a Mastiff in the backyard of a home right across the street from where the attack happened.
A man identifying himself as the owner’s son said Animal Control called the family on Easter Sunday and told them to pick up the dog.
That man went on to say there weren’t any special conditions attached to the release, but said they are working to make sure the dog doesn’t get out of the yard.
Myers wants more done to prevent a similar attack from happening to someone else.
"All it takes is them, 'hey puppy' and it happens again," Myers said.
At the same Myers is working to help his daughter recover both physically and emotionally. He says Annabelle is now afraid of strange dogs and other animals.
The first bills for her treatment are just starting to come in. Myers said the ambulance ride alone cost more than $1,200.
While he is planning to go after the dog’s owner to recoup the costs, he has also set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for Annabelle’s immediate needs.
