In August, a neighbor filed a complaint with the city animal control office after their dog was injured in an attack. No further details were available about the incident. The order to surrender the dogs was issued in September, police said.

A police official said animal control follows up on surrender orders. Animal control personnel are part of the city's Department of Public Works.

A city spokesman did not respond to questions about the procedure followed when an aggressive dog is ordered to be surrendered and what, if any, follow-up work is done to make sure an animal is turned over.

The spokesman also did not provide any details about what was done in this case. It was not immediately known what type of sanctions are possible when a person fails to surrender an animal.

In addition to the punctured skull, the child suffered cuts and bite marks to her face, head and stomach, according to authorities. She was taken to Oishei Children's Hospital. Police did not provide an update on her condition Thursday.