7-year-old St. George girl’s nose bitten off by dog

Grace, a 7-year-old girl from St. George, is undergoing multiple surgeries after her nose was bitten off by a dog, photo location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Grace's Medical Fund GoFundMe page, St. George News

Ed. note: Some readers may consider the photo or details contained in this report to be graphic in nature. Reader discretion is advised.

ST. GEORGE — A 7-year-old girl has undergone multiple surgeries after her nose was bitten off by a dog Saturday.

The girl, named Grace, was playing at a friend’s house in St. George when a Labrador Retriever knocked her down and bit her nose off, according to her family.

A 7-year-old girl has undergone multiple surgeries after the end of her nose was bitten off by a dog while playing at a friend’s house in St. George, Utah, March 10, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Destiny Mampel, St. George News

“She has a very long road ahead,” the girl’s mother, Destiny Mampel, told St. George News of the ordeal. “My heart has been ripped out of my chest.”

The girl was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George where she underwent emergency surgery and was later transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City where she will undergo additional medical procedures to rebuild her nose, according to a GoFundMe account established by Amy Adams on behalf of the family.

Grace will have her second surgery next week in Salt Lake City, according to the family’s update, which states:

This will be a big procedure and the second of many. They will have to take a piece of cartilage from her rib to rebuild her nose plus take a skin graft from her forehead to cover the damaged part.

The “Grace’s Medical Fund” GoFundMe page had garnered $1,890 from 50 people by Friday evening.

Read more: Medical fundraiser set up for girl attacked by dog

The much-needed and appreciated donations will go toward Grace’s medical expenses, Adams said, as well as helping the family travel back and forth between St. George and Salt Lake for an indefinite amount of time between surgeries.

The 7-year-old girl’s family said Grace is an animal lover and even wishes for the dog that took her nose to be OK.

She said she’s just mad at the dog (because) all she wanted to do was give it loves,” Mampel said. “She also said she wishes the dog would have just bit her leg or something else.”

After the attack, the dog was placed at the St. George Animal Shelter where it will be quarantined for 10 days to be checked for rabies or any other complications, police said. After that period, the dog may be returned to its owner.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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13 Comments

  • comments March 16, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    that’s terrible. the dog prob didn’t know any better. Maybe it was a pup? Either way it has proven not to be suitable around kids. Facial reconstruction w/ children is gonna be especially difficult and require a bunch of surgeries as she grows. She got a long road ahead. If this was my kid the dog would get a bullet to the back of the head… just because. I got no tolerance of vicious dogs. Hope for the best for this kid.

    • Striker4 March 17, 2018 at 4:12 pm

      If the dog bit you it would of had to under go rabies treatment

  • NickDanger March 16, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    This…makes me angry.

  • Close The Borders March 17, 2018 at 1:47 pm

    See, NOT all dogs that bite kids are Pit Bulls!

    • comments March 17, 2018 at 3:01 pm

      Nope, it’s still just 9 out of 10. I wonder if this “Labrador Retriever” is a mutt, with maybe a more vicious breed mixed in. Labs are usually quite docile from what i’ve seen.

      • Striker4 March 17, 2018 at 4:14 pm

        Oh here we go again now the Prophet Bob is also a canine expert this guy is amazing isn’t he

  • Striker4 March 17, 2018 at 4:16 pm

    If it’s not your dog then don’t stick your face next to the dogs face

    • comments March 17, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      Yeah Dump, you go tell that to this poor little girl.

  • Ladyk March 18, 2018 at 2:37 am

    According ton the stats I could find more people are bitten by Labrador type dogs every year than any other breed. Now some argue that it is because there are so many of them that if the number was equal the number of bites would be equal, I don’t know. I have a German Shepherd and a Bishon. If you come to my door the GSD will sound like he will take your head off but as long as I am ok with things then he is the sweetest dog ever. But I feel sorry for anyone who tries to jumb our fence. We keep it locked at all times. I hope the Dr’s can help this sweet girl and that the dog owners have good homeowners insurance. No way that dog will be going back to the owners though.

    • Icomments2 March 19, 2018 at 9:13 am

      Please enlighten me why wouldn’t it???

  • Icomments2 March 19, 2018 at 9:11 am

    I feel bad for the little girl, but the parents should of instilled in her head NEVER try to give any dog hugs or kisses (especially little) dogs becuz they don’t like it!!! And most of all becuz they are they still have the wild in them!!! I dont care What breed it is!!! I own a Labador and she is the most loving dog there is, to her own family!!! And I tell my kids friends not to hug on her cuz I DO NOT know how she will act towards them not being her child!!! I even tell my own kids to be careful!!! But also to remember if you don’t like it when someone is doing something to them think how it must feel for a dog, and them not being able to communicate(other than biting) and tell you to STOP!!! I have also owned a German Shepherd and he was the best protector but yet the biggest sweetheart at the same time!!! I’ve also had a Lab/Pit and we’ll just say that dog went back to the animal control real fast!!! If I had to chose out of the three breeds I would pick a German Shepherd in a heartbeat!!! Dont get me wrong I love Labs. A Lab is very loyal but to loyal to a fault!!!

    • comments March 19, 2018 at 1:41 pm

      I love German Shepherds just bc of how trainable they are. There’s a big difference between a warning nip and a dog clamping down on a person’s nose a tearing a chunk off– that is outright aggression. That’s why I wonder if this “Labrador Retriever” isn’t some kind of mix w/ an aggressive breed like the lab/pitt you had. The dog in this case needs to be put down. It has show its true temperament.

      “I feel bad for the little girl, but the parents should of instilled in her head NEVER try to give any dog hugs or kisses”

      Believe me, they know this now. They don’t need you to tell them

  • Anne March 22, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    To the owners of this dog:
    Please, do not keep this dog. I know it must be a beloved family pet, but please take advice from someone who has been there and thought what happened was a one time occurence. My family believed it was a fluke, an accident; and the dog was fine. It wasn’t for me and most likely won’t be for you down the road. Don’t learn the hard way like I did. I was bitten by my own dog in the face at 14 years of age and had to endure rabies shots every day until the dog was cleared. We brought it back home and thought all was well. 2 years later it attacked me so ferociously and I was extremely fortunate not to have been hurt worse than the numerous bites all over my body and many stitches I received, not to mention the trauma from both attacks. I was able to fight it off and get away ftom it, but not until I thought it would kill me first.
    My father wished he had shot the dog the first time it bit me. His words…and I kind of do as well. Please do not take a chance with this dog not attacking ever again. Put the dog on a farm somewhere if you refuse to put it down; but never again allow it around kids, small children especially. Once a canine tastes blood it’s over, as far as safety in a family environment. Trust me. I know and I wish I did not know those are the truest of words.

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