Rumford Police have say the dog that attacked a mother and her two teen daughters on Wednesday has been euthanized.
Police say the 8-year-old Staffordshire Terrier was euthanized with consent from the owner.
The dog was taken to the Maine Health Lab where it was tested for rabies. The test was negative and the victims and hospital were notified.
[Mom, 2 teen daughters hospitalized after ‘horrifying’ dog attack in Rumford]
The dog was not licensed in the town of Rumford nor were there any records of vaccination.
Police say there have been previous reports of the dog running at large and the owner, 44-year-old Eric Burns, of Rumford, has pending charges in Rumford District Court.
The investigation is ongoing and is being reviewed by the Oxford County District Attorney’s Office for appropriate charges.
Police say the dog escaped from one side of a duplex on Erchles Street in Rumford on Wednesday, got into the other side, and abruptly attacked the family in their home.
Ashley, 18, and Vicki, 17, Mitchell are recovering at Central Maine Medical Center.
“When we first saw him he was so sweet. He licked my face, we fed him, gave him water, and just like that he snapped,” Ashley told CBS 13.
They say the dog continually bit around their legs, causing severe gashes, and in some cases full chunks of flesh to be ripped off.
“I’m grateful. If it wasn’t for the neighbors who came when my sister screamed for help, she would have lost her leg because he would have taken it completely off,” Vicki told CBS 13.
Their mother, Alicia Mitchell, was also bitten trying to shake the dog off them. She says she has more than a dozen staples in one leg.
The sisters told CBS 13 they don’t blame the dog for the attack, but they do blame the animal’s owner.
Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.