WINDERMERE, Fla. – A Central Florida family says their toddler was bitten in the face by a dog at a park, but instead of helping their little girl, the dog's owner just took off.
The incident happened Monday evening in Windermere near Keene's Crossing Elementary School.
Orange County Animal Services is now patrolling the area looking for the dog responsible.
Meanwhile, Vladimir and Olga Kadatskiy have posted pictures of their injured daughter on their neighborhood's Facebook page, hoping to track down the dog and its owner.
"I just want to make sure that dog is not dangerous," said Vladimir Kadatskiy.
Kadatskiy said he took his daughter to a playground near the school and, as they arrived, two women with what appeared to be two American Bulldogs showed up to visit an adjacent dog park.
Kadatskiy said his daughter, Victoria, who's about to turn 2 years old, was immediately drawn to the dogs. He said the women stopped near the playground, insisted their dogs were not aggressive and said it was OK for the little girl to pet them. Kadatskiy said he held his daughter as she pet the dogs and afterward they all proceeded into the dog park area.
The women then offered for the little girl to give the dogs a treat. Kadatskiy said his daughter continued to pet the dogs for a few minutes.
"She was next to me and petting the dog and all of a sudden, the dog just jumped," said Kadatskiy.
Kadatskiy said his daughter was knocked to the ground and bleeding from bite wounds to her cheek and chin. As he tried to help his daughter, Kadatskiy said the two women and their two dogs took off.
"I ran to the stroller and I was trying to make the bleeding stop. I saw (the women) running, so I figured they would come and offer help, but they just left right away," said Kadatskiy.
Kadatskiy said he then called his wife for help who rushed to the playground.
"I was in shock really," said Olga Kadatskiy. "Of course, my first reaction was to take her to the emergency room."
Once at the hospital, Victoria was cleaned and stitched up and she is expected to make a full recovery.
"There's something wrong with that dog," said Vladimir Kadatskiy. "I would like that dog to be tested and if it poses a danger to other people, then some measures have to be taken."
Kadatskiy described the two women with the dogs as about 25 years old and 5 feet 4 inches tall with heavier builds. He said one of the women had light brown hair with a piercing in her chin.
The dog that bit Victoria was described as a 1-year-old male white American Bulldog.
Anyone with information about the dog or its owner is asked to call Orange County Animal Services.