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A High River father is thankful his nine-year-old daughter didn’t sustain worse injuries when she was mauled by a pit bull Tuesday afternoon.

Michael Willoughby said his daughter, Bella, was at her Joe Clark elementary school’s playground during recess when a dog walked by.

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Bella approached the dog, Willoughby said, asking its owner if it was a pit bull.

“The owner said yes, then the owner said ‘would you like to pet the dog?’ so Bella went up and was petting the dog,” said Willoughby.

“When she was pulling away, or was halfway done petting the dog, (the dog) leaped up, knocked her down and bit her face. The owner pulled the dog off.”

Willoughby said his daughter suffered minor scrapes to her chin, along with a swollen cheek and a black eye.

“Other than that she got through it unscathed … if not for the grace of God, she may have had her face ripped off,” he said.

Willoughby, who said his family has owned dogs in the past, understands the bad reputation pit bulls get.