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.

"She's doing good, very good," said Philadelphia Police Officer Robert Kroll, the stepfather of Olivia Kluzinski. She required a few stitches and remains at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, he said.

Kroll said the dog was owned by one of his neighbors, whom he described as a good family friend, and the neighbor surrendered the dog Thursday morning to the Pennsylvania SPCA.

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.

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.

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

Inquirer staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.