A dog that attacked a 17-year-old girl in Mead Valley was possibly on the loose Thursday, despite a search of the area by animal control officers.
Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said that a two-hour search failed to turn up any clues as to the canine’s whereabouts following the attack about 11 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Alexander and Woodward streets, just south of Riverside and east of Lake Mathews.
Welsh said that the victim and her boyfriend, neither of whom were identified, pulled to the side of the road so the young man could use his mobile phone, giving the girl an opportunity to change shirts next to the vehicle.
“The girl stepped outside the car and, as she put on her sweater, the dog reportedly `came out of nowhere’ and attacked her,” Welsh said. “She suffered a serious bite wound to her left arm.”
Her boyfriend struck the canine — described only as a big white dog — several times until it relented and fled, according to Welsh.
The girl was driven to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where she received emergency treatment for the bite wound. There was no word on her condition, Welsh said.
Anyone who might have information about the dog was asked to call the Department of Animal Services at (951) 358-7387.