An eight-year-old Utah girl required 27 stitches after she had her tear ducts ripped out by the family's pet pit bull after it mauled her for a second time when her mom refused to turn it in to the authorities.

The brutal attack took place on June 13 this year when 26-year-old Kayla Price's pit bull Zeus set upon on her daughter, according to the Sun, and lacerated her cheek, chin, and eyes before he was stopped and hauled away.

The young girl was left needing 27 stitches to treat the damage, with doctors stating that not only were her tear ducts were permanently damaged, but that she was likely to be physically scarred for life as well.

A probable cause statement filed in connection to the case obtained by Gephardt Daily reads, "(The) victim — an 8-year-old girl — was bitten by the family pit bull. She was taken to the hospital where she received 27 stitches on her cheek, on her chin, and around her eye. The injuries have left scarring and possible permanent damage to the tear ducts."

It also stated that this was not an isolated incident of aggression from the pit bull and that the dog had previously attacked another victim as well.

"This is at least the second time that the dog has bitten a victim on the face," the statement said. "The dog has bit other children in the past as well, yet the defendant insists on bringing the dog back into the family home."

Speaking about the case, Springville Police Chief Craig Martinez said, "We felt the evidence showed a little bit of neglect and that this had happened once before and that no plan of action was taken and nothing was changed."

"We respond to dog bites all the time," he continued. "Usually you see it once. It doesn’t usually happen again with the same animal and the same child or children. In this case, the second time was too much."

Zeus has since been euthanized, and Price has been charged with child abuse -- infliction of serious physical injury recklessly, a third-degree felony, and allowing a vicious animal to go at large, a class B misdemeanor -- in connection to the incident.

For reasons currently unclear, her case was moved from one Utah County Courthouse to another, and she will be facing a 4th District Court judge in American Fork rather than Provo.

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