By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A 3-year-old who was bitten by a dog Saturday is home and doing better her father said.
Angel Marie Parham was bitten by the family dog. According to Rowan County Animal Control, the family had two dogs, a Rottweiler, and Labrador mix, who were tied up in the backyard.
Terry Parham, the girl’s father, said Angel needed more than 60 stitches to her face.
“The doctor quit counting at 60 stitches,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
Terry and his wife, Michelle Marie, were on their way to the hospital after the incident when they stopped at Salisbury Fire Station No. 2 on South Main Street.
Terry said they stopped at the fire station because Angel was bleeding so badly.
Michelle had just gone into the house for a minute when the incident happened, she said.
The family was doing yard work when Terry saw what appeared to be one of the dog’s licking his daughter’s face. She screamed and came running to her father. He soon saw why she’d screamed.
She’d been bitten mostly underneath her eyes.
Michelle thought the child fell outside.
Michelle said she applied a wet washcloth to her daughter’s face as her husband drove.
When she took a peek at her daughter’s wounds, all she saw was more blood.
“I didn’t know how deep the bites were,” she said.
The family lives in China Grove, not far from Gary’s Barbecue, and were on the way to the hospital when they stopped at the fire station.
The firefighters administered advanced first-aid treatment until Rowan County paramedics arrived.
A helicopter flew Angel to Carolinas Medical Center from Rowan Regional around 8:30 p.m. The incident occurred about 7:37 p.m.
Terry said his daughter is a daddy’s girl and he felt like he was making her nervous by being around her while she received medical care.
Before she was airlifted, he said he looked at Angel and asked her something he often asks: “Who’s the prettiest girl?”
She answered, “Me.”
He knew that she’d be all right.
The couple is grateful to everyone who helped their daughter, including emergency workers, the hospital staff at Carolinas Medical Center and especially the firefighters.
Angel also received scratches on her arm. But the stitches are on her face and also inside and outside her cheeks, Terry said.
The dogs are in quarantine for 10 days. Officials are not certain which dog bit the child. The family decided to sign the dogs over to animal control.
“We wouldn’t feel comfortable with the dogs around the children and we wouldn’t feel comfortable giving them away knowing they had bitten someone,” Michelle said.
The family has had their Rottweiler, Rebel, for at least 10 years, and their Labrador mix, Rocky, for about four years.
The dogs had never harmed the children before, she said. In fact, their oldest daughter, Caitlin Marie, 9, has fed the dogs every day with no problem.
After the dogs were taken, Michelle said, Angel asked her where the dogs were.
Michelle said she doesn’t think they’ll get another dog.