Philly girl, 10, attacked by pit bull

A 10-year-old girl remains in stable condition after being attacked by a pit bull Wednesday night in Mayfair, according to Fire Department officials, and the dog and its owner officially remain at-large and anonymous to authorities.

After biting someone, a dog must be quarantined for 10 days to see if it has any diseases, after which it can be euthanized, said Philadelphia Animal Care and Control director Tara Schernecke.

Despite that, the dog's owner planned to euthanize the dog Thursday, the victim's father, a Philadelphia police officer, said in various reports. The victim's family did not return phone calls for comment.

Police should have charged the dog's owner with harboring a dangerous dog, said Barbara Paul, a Philadelphia assistant district attorney.

But it was a medical unit dispatched by the Fire Department, not police, that responded to the 3400 block of Chippendale Street at 9:42 p.m. Wednesday, because it was available.

As a result, no criminal charges were filed against the owner, Schernecke said, and she did not receive the names or addresses of the owner and victim so her department could quarantine the dog.

Neighbors say that the victim's friends and family spent Thursday at her bedside in St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, where fire department officials say the girl is recovering from bites and a head injury.

A police spokeswoman said that the Fire Department took the call and that police had no information about the incident.