Toddler Would Say 'Doggy' When She'd See Pet in Home. She Ended Up Hospitalized and Dog Was Euthanized By KC Baker

A 16-month-old Virginia girl is recovering after her pet dog attacked her — leaving her with serious facial injuries and in need of a third surgery, her family says.

Alette McGuire was on her way home from work on Monday, Sept. 22, when her fiancé called with terrifying news: their dog Miguel had attacked their daughter, Carmen, she told 13NewsNow.

“I don’t even want to imagine the images he has of the situation,” McGuire told the outlet.

Her fiancé said he believes Carmen may have walked up to the dog and startled it and said he tried to do whatever he could to protect Carmen until help arrived, she said.

McGuire rushed to meet him and Carmen at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) in Norfolk, where the toddler “underwent emergency plastic surgery to repair deep wounds to her face,” family member Alfred McGuire wrote in a GoFundMe organized for Carmen.

“Carmen is out of surgery and already home resting in her own bed tonight,” Alfred wrote on Friday, Oct. 17. “The surgeon didn’t have to do any skin grafts because her wound is healing so beautifully — such a blessing!” 

Insurance did not cover the first two procedures Carmen underwent, McGuire told 13NewsNow, adding that she still needs to have a third surgery which will also be costly.

“Thanks to the quick actions of the CHKD medical staff and surgeons, Carmen is on the road to recovery — but the emotional and financial toll is heavy,” Alfred added on the fundraiser page.

“The medical bills for her emergency care, surgery, and ongoing treatment have already begun to pile up, and she will need continued follow-up visits and specialized care to help her heal both physically and emotionally.”

“Carmen is such a light in our lives — always smiling, dancing, and bringing joy to everyone around her,” the GoFundMe says. “She has shown incredible bravery through all of this, but she still has a long road ahead.”

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“We’re asking for your help to ease the financial burden on her family so they can focus on what truly matters: helping her heal and smile again. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. Your support, prayers, and kindness mean the world to us.”

So far, the GoFundMe started to help defray Carmen’s medical bills has raised more than $29,000 — for which McGuire and her family are so grateful. Sadly, Chesapeake Animal Control said that Miguel had to be euthanized due to the severity of the attack, McGuire told the outlet.

Now that Carmen is home, she is wondering where Miguel is, McGuire said.

“In the past, he’d be in his kennel, and she would walk to where his kennel was and go ‘doggy,’ so the first few times she had done that since the incident, we had just broken down, because she just looked so confused, like, wait, hold on, he’s not here,” McGuire said.

The attack will leave Carmen with scars on her face, doctors told McGuire, but they believe she will make a full recovery, 13NewsNow reports.