thank GOD a good neighbor came to the rescue! Please realize this could have been much worse. At this point, there should be no 2nd chance for that dog in my opinion-your little girl is lucky to be alive! your little girl should be priority, NOT the dog! who cares if its a pitbull or a poodle, your girl was attacked! get rid of it!

I'm sorry but did she just say that the pitbull plays tug of war with the little girl? I play tug of war with my dog and he's 17 pounds and has accidently nipped me while playing. That is so not a game for a girl to play with a pitbull that can reach up to and over 100 pounds. I'm glad the girl is ok but the mother might want to rethink how she is training the dog..

My husband is a facial surgeon. They are lucky the neighbor intervened. It could have been so much worse. Cannot tell you how many times in the past 20 years he has had to stitch up a child's face because the dog "never hurt anyone before". These kids carry the scars on their face for a lifetime.

This child is going to need to mental therapy later in life. "Mom loved the dog more than she loved me". I have a scar on my arm to show it.

The Nanny Dog
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676

Couldnt agree more... if she actually was a good mom then she would never let the dog back in her house. Instead she is defending the dog.

the little girl wants the dog to come home!!!!!!!!!!! you people have no idea what you are taking about! how about people ask how the little girl is doing, but nooo all you guys wanna do is bash the dog and the family for having the dog!

I'd like to remind everyone to please refrain from making personal attacks against a user. This is a violation of our Terms of Use, which can be viewed more here - http://portsmouth.patch.com/terms.

From the video:
“It’s only a puppy. Only a year old.”
“It’s too young to be a vicious dog.”
“I realized there was no way I was strong enough to get this dog off of her.”
But it’s just a puppy and for whatever reason it did attack. In a year it will be nearly full grown, weigh around 60 lbs, and there may not be anyone nearby to help. That is one cute little girl. I’m glad she’s OK and that the dog didn’t grab her face.

Oh Please...What are you folks missing jumping on the Bandwagon..I guess your calling the Mother & the little girl a liar? Anyone that has a puppy/young dog knows they nip and can be rough until "trained" properly.

Prob not a good idea having a young child around any dog when it is young but clearly as it says "an ACCIDENT".

Some of you anti-dog people are ridiculous similar happened to me however, I had a nasty non understanding dishonest neighbor and when drunk put his hand over my fence, in my property to pet the puppy who on instinct grabbed his arm to PLAY a big dog at that so a stronger grip...and did accidentally break the skin..A dog that is now a "Big Baby" who would let someone beat the crap out of him....

Would suit some better to be less judgmental, stop reading between the lines and accept what the VERY "Decent, honest, woman & her daughter are saying" and get off your high horses. Yes, she is a truthful, honest person I would like as a neighbor/friend...she & her little girl have to be commended for being honest about this. She knows, she was there...Duh!...Nobody here was.

This is clearly NOT a vicious Dog attack, an Accident ...I agree with one thing...best to keep young children away from young dogs........

and then there is the stupid people who think they can invade a Dog's territory, then complain about it. Some remarks here remind me of them.

Guess what I WAS there and it was a vicious attack the dog refused to let go and then aftet got it off of her arm it tried for only her AGAIN so maybe you ahould rethink what your writing cause clearly YOU WEREN'T THERE

Why don't you people leave this poor family alone. This was an accident end of story. If this was any other breed of dog it would be a non-issue. Keep throwing the stones while you live in your glass houses! This is getting ridiculous.

Oh yeah and the skin wasn't just broken it was torn along with a fractured wrist of it was an accident wouldn't this dog have let go when it realised it had her arm?and ir has NOTHING to do with the fact it was a pitbull if any oyher dog did that id be saying the same damn thing therefore, I don't want it living across from me every single day when the gf wiuld leave the house and open that gate the dog was running up and down the street and she's yelling it chasing it trying to get it in the yard and it wouldn't listen...now after biting and rufusing to let go is not a dog I was running free on my street...some of us do care about the well being of ourselves and children and would rather not roll the dice again he's bitten once he's gone as far as I'm concerned

My dog has never bitten anyone before. Find a police report that accused my dog of that. You won't because that girl got beat up in my house not attacked by a puppy

Beat up?? Well now I really think you are a mature pitbull owner. You guys should just stop commenting cuz your making yourselves look even worse.

thats a playful puppy hate to c what he can do when he's a grown pit. that dog should not be around kids and if her own mother cant c that then god watch over her kid cause shes gonna need it. this is the one who pryed the dogs jaws off her kid im disgusted by that interveiw

Maybe DHS should be called. I normally would think that is a terrible idea but in this case the mother seems more worried about the 3 month relationship with the boyfriend and his dog than her on daughter. If that dog goes back to that home they are endangering not only that little girl but every kid on that street! And don't attack me cuz I love pits and I had one with kids but if that dog ever bit my kids or anyone for that matter he would be put to sleep! It's like people care more about animals than the safety of a human life. I just don't understand people anymore.

Someone who wants to return to a home where their daughter has been a viciously attacked by a dog (regardless of breed...I am a large breed dog owner myself) is baffling to me. As a parent you are supposed to protect your young, not continuously expose them to harm.I think this is a form of neglect. Maybe mom should reconsider her relationship for the safety of her daughter. This is the most disturbing story I have heard. Thank god someone was willing to risk their own life to help out, and thank god the girl is okay!!!

Tug of war with a dog may seem like a game to people, but to a dog it is a way of showing or building dominance. It is a pack mentality of a dog to try and move up the pack order. Now of course not everybody knows this fact, but I can understand the dog getting confused, after accidentally biting the little girl. When the neighbor tried to remove the dog, it would be the dogs natural instinct to react in an aggressive or defensive manner. I am still of the opinion that pitbulls although non-aggressive in say a loving household, still have instinctual tendacies to become aggressive with out warning. The fact of the matter is these dogs were bred to be agressive. Cruel treatment of these animals just enhances their agressive behavior. Not every dog is a tinking time bomb of course. However, (IMO) this breed is more apt to become aggressive percentage wise, than most other dog breeds.

Thankfully a neighbor was there, and did come to her aide. These same neighbors now have the right to voice their concern. The breed of dog is a non-issue, the issue remains that the dog did bite a child and refuse to let go. As a dog owner/lover myself - I would be devestated if my dog bit any child and refused to let go. Understandably puppies play and my inadvertently nip the person they are playing with, this was not the case here based on the childs injuries and eyewitness accounts. A dog of any breed that did cause that type damage to a child should not be allowed back in any home. It is unfortunate and I am sure very painful for the family to lose their pet, not as painful as a permanent injury to their child or someone elses.

*dcyf

You people don't get that my story is distorted the dog is not coming back here because accident or not I font want my child to be a victim again my story was suppose to put an end to the rumors and lies saying the dog was always in the yard looking for a fight and that the dog was being trained for dog fighting and that I had my kid in an environment with a vicious dog I was trying to prove the point that my child was never in any harm until that day...... It is painful loosing a pet a do feel bad for my boyfriend but I am thankful my child is okay and you can believe if for some reason the dog is allowed to come back here me and my child won't

EVERYONE! Please, I beg you to just leave this family alone. No matter who was wrong, or what happened. The little girl is still just that, a little girl. Vanessa is still a mother and no one deserves this much crap from everyone. I'm not on eaither side... I dont know the family or the dog... But I do think that this is a small town, a horrible thing has happened, and bashing the woman wont help. Please lets focus our attention on other things and let this just go away.

My goodness is this the Portsmouth that I know and love? I think not. Portsmouthperson I am with you 100%. Let it go, it's alright.

In the picture is the "white band-aid" the damage to the child's arm?...
Where's the Cast?..I do not see signs of a "vicious attack"....other thn a bandaid....
I do not get it...the mother is here replying to multiple topics on this....posting in 2 different names...The Mother should NOT have to do that.?

Arcticle says she DOES NOT own the dog and she says: her and her daughter won't be back if the dog gets back....then she says on another topic...she is the owner.... It does not say anywhere it was "a vicious attack" it has been named that by people here....
Wonder if the dog is getting a bad rap here...None of this story seems to be straight!.
BTW.....
Did you know in rescue the #1 explanation given to rescue's for "giving up" a dog is it either did bite someone, attempted to, or is assumed agressive enough it might... .and a lot of the time it is just used as the excuse/reason to rid themselves of the animal for whatever reason ....other than the real one...while feeling they will not look bad for doing so.... The dog pays the price, so as the owner can feel good for getting rid of it.
What they do not know is that is a instant death sentence to a dog into rescue...as they are deemed non adoptable and PTS.

" it was and accident, and unfortunately the dog is being blammed and he shouldn't be" don't think any words were twisted thar came out of your mouth...who should be blammed then?accident-he refused to let go- far from an accident-

A pitbulls jaw only locks when they are being aggressive....so I really doubt that it was just playing. You should never let a little child play tug of war with a dog cuz that is away for dogs to decide who is higher in the pack. She keeps making the excuse that the dog is just a puppy but he is a year old.....and a dog that is a year old is capable of killing or attacking a human. And by other comments it looks like the mother has only been dating the guy for 2-3 months so the dog hasn't known this child long. Maybe the dog is jealous of the child....it happens. And if the dog goes back to this home...the women said she wont be going there...so who will let the dog out when I'm assuming the guys at work? And a pitbull cooped up in a house all day is a bad idea....thats how you get aggressive pitbulls....a lack of exercise and contact with people and other dogs can make him aggressive tords new people and new situations. There should have to be a class people have to take and pass to own a dog that is high on the aggressive list. It's not just pitbulls that attack so people should be aware to never trust a dog alone with a small child.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/15/12238400-8-month-old-boy-dies-after-dog-attack-near-san-diego?lite
Thankfully this is not portsmouth in the news. Appalling to me how many ingnorant pitbull owners there are out there.

Even if this 4-legged shark was "only playing" and we all know this isn't true, the dog BROKE THE CHILD'S ARM!!!! If you had a stroller in which a child could get its arm caught and break it, you'd be wanting to sue the manufacturer for selling an unsafe product. This monster attacked the child and she is lucky that all she received was a broken arm. The next time, she could have her arm or leg torn off, or be scalped as so many children have been when attacked by pit bulls. Vanessa Martens isn't fit to be a mother and child protective services should remove Grace from her custody and place her with someone who is more concerned about the child than they are some worthless killer fleabag!

@RoastPuppy - you are a troll

This is the kind of response I had expected out of the owner of the dog.
Clearly the dog learned from it's master.

Yes, Steveinri, the dog knew it was more important to this hybristophiliac woman than the child was. The dog is still more important than the child. If the thing is allowed to go home, the next incident will be deadly for this little girl. I feel sorry for any child stuck in a home like this one.

@Sweetie Pie why dont you flag Roast Puppy? Calling any specific dog breed "monsters" is inappropriate and unacceptable. And doing that with a name like "Roast Puppy" is trolling.

Bunch of ignorance. Pit Bull jaws do not "Lock", and their temperament rates much better than many other breeds. The public against the pit bull is modern day animal racism. People can't be openly racist against blacks and Latinos anymore, time to be racist against a wonderful and loyal breed that percentage wise is low on the attack pole, but has been given a bad rep and bad name by the brainwashing media. If the dog wanted to hurt the girl she would have a lot more than 4 stitches. Probably missed the toy and grabbed the arm. The kid should not have been playing tug of with a young and not fully trained dog. Why aren't we talking about Rotweilers, German Sheppards, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and other guard breeds? This is ridiculous and is being used as basis to pass expensive and unreasonable statewide laws.