A tiny Mississippi girl who was almost killed by three pit bulls will get $30,000 from KFC towards her medical bills, even if her family was trying to scam the fast food outlet.

KFC spokesperson Rick Maynard told The Star on Tuesday that the food chain will honour its pledge to pay medical bills for pre-schooler Victoria Wilcher.

Victoria’s family has claimed she was asked to leave a KFC outlet in Jackson, Miss. in April because her scars were disturbing to other diners.

Victoria’s family reportedly raised $135,000 in donations in the past two months, plus a promise of free plastic surgery.

The family’s website, Victoria’s Victories, has drawn support from as far away as France and Russia.

The Laurel Leader-Call newspaper in Mississippi on Monday headlined a story “Kentucky Fried Hoax” and opened with the sentence, “The jig is up.”

The newspaper reported that security footage from the KFC doesn’t show any girl matching Victoria’s description entering the outlet on May 15.

The girl’s grandmother claimed she ordered sweet tea and mashed potatoes for her, but the paper reports that there’s no record of such an order.

“We have taken this report very seriously from the beginning,” Maynard said in an email. “Since our franchisee was unable to verify the incident in their internal investigation, they hired a third-party consultant to conduct an independent investigation to help resolve the matter.

“Along with our franchisee, we remain determined to get to the truth and address the situation appropriately.”

Whatever the independent investigation finds, KFC will still pay her medical bills, Maynard said.

“We expect to have the findings of that investigation soon, and we are committed to the $30,000 donation to assist with Victoria’s medical bills no matter the outcome,” Maynard said.

There are varied reports about Victoria’s age.

Police said she was four at the time of her mauling in April, but the family says on its website, “Victoria’s Victories,” that she is only three.

Despite the newspaper story, the family stands by its statement that she was asked to leave the outlet because of her scars.

“I promise it’s not a hoax,” her aunt, Teri Rials Bates, wrote on the family Facebook website.

“I never thought any of this would blow up the way it has. The article circling the web calling this a hoax is untrue. The article it self say the investigation is not complete. It is not over until KFC releases a statement . . . The family has not asked for anything, an attorney is handling all the media publicity for the family pro bono. Please do not believe untrue media.”

Family attorney Bill Kellum could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Reaction to Victoria’s story varies wildly on the Internet.

Myria Gibson, a pre-veterinary student from Alabama, drew 1,487 “likes” on Facebook by late morning Tuesday when she posted: “No matter if the ‘hoax’ was made this girl still needs our support. It isn’t her fault her grandmother made this allegation ... keep supporting her.”

Another postingchiding the family with the message, “You should be ashamed of yourself” drew 3,326 “likes”.

Las Vegas plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Stile met with the little girl and pledged his support.

“My Foundation will work out sponsorship to help defray the costs of her case,” Stile wrote on his blog. “I am also offering you my professional services as a plastic surgeon to assist with any future procedures as she grows up.”

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“I know this will not erase the memories of the horrific experiences Victoria has had to endure, but we can at least hope to make her future care more pleasant, while trying to restore her back to a beautiful well-adjusted little girl.”

While there’s considerable doubt about what did or didn’t happen in the KFC outlet, it’s clear that Victoria was mauled by pit bulls at her grandfather’s trailer in Harrisville in Victoria County, Miss.

Immediately after the attack, a local TV station quoted the grandfather Donald Mullins as saying he was having an extremely tough time coping what happened on his property between his dogs and his granddaughter.

“It has been a heartbreaker, I can tell you that right now,” Simmons told 16 WAPT-TV News. “It has just about killed me that my grandbaby almost died because of my dogs.”

Initial reports said that Victoria lost an eye in the attack and bones in her face were crushed.

In the local television interview, Mullins said Victoria was playing in his trailer with some cats when two of his 10 pit bulls burst in.

“The next thing I know, it was all three of (the dogs) and one of them pulled me down,” he told the television station. “The next thing I know, they pulled me, the baby and my girlfriend out the door.”

He reportedly shot two of the dogs while the third got away.

“I don’t regret shooting my dogs because of what happened,” he told the television station. “I don’t know. It seems pretty much like I am lost.”

Mullins told the TV station that he told his girlfriend, Rita Tompkins, to lie on the child as he ran inside his trailer to fetch a pistol.

“I ran in the house and got my pistol,” he said. “I came back and I started shooting.”

Victoria was originally reported to be in critical condition in hospital.

All of the remaining dogs were handed over to the Mississippi Animal Rescue League.

Mullins and Tompkins have been charged with child endangerment.