Teen girl remains hospitalized after dog attack in northwest Miami-Dade; owner surrenders pit bull

A teenage girl remained hospitalized Thursday after a dog attack in northwest Miami-Dade, while the pit bull's owner voluntarily surrendered the animal to Miami-Dade Animal Services.

The girl suffered multiple bite wounds and underwent surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, according to a relative.

"She sustained multiple bites, so there's a lot of injuries," the relative told CBS News Miami. "She did have surgery, but she's recovering well right now."

Police said the attack happened Wednesday at an efficiency behind a house on Northwest 66th Street. Neighbors called 911, and a responding deputy tried to use a Taser on the dog, but it ran away.

The 5-year-old pit bull, named Diablo, was still missing Thursday morning. A woman close to the owner later brought him back. Animal Services picked him up before 5 p.m. Thursday.

The owner, who asked that her face not be shown, said she was heartbroken but believed surrendering Diablo was the right decision. She emphasized that she was not being forced to give him up.

"This is my choice to surrender the dog because it happened once; I feel like it may happen again, so why take the risk," she said.

Despite that concern, the owner said she did not consider Diablo dangerous and described the attack as something that happened in the moment.

The circumstances leading up to the attack remain unclear.

According to Miami-Dade Animal Services, the dog faces euthanasia after being taken into custody.

Police and a relative confirmed that the girl remained hospitalized Thursday evening. Her identity has not been released.