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Toddler mauled by pit bull

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Indianapolis - A toddler's life is on the line after a pit bull attack. The victim's family wants the owner held accountable.

It happened Friday afternoon in the 13-hundred block of South Belmont near Lambert Street on the city's southwest side.

Police say the animal took control of the toddler and wouldn't let go. His young victim's blood was still on it's snout while teams at Riley Hospital worked to save 2-year-old Amaia Hess.

"She sustained serious injury to her face and it appears she may have been bitten on other parts of her body too. One of her eyes is missing at this point. The other eye is seriously injured," said Sgt. Mathew Mount of the Indianapolis Police Department.

The little girl was in the stroller with her mother. A man opened his door and the dog, named Ozzie, ran out straight for the little girl.

"I seen the baby in the dogs mouth and the dog shaking the baby like a rag doll, just shaking, shaking, shaking," said a witness.

Amay's great uncle calls her a sweet loving child facing a long struggle.

"One eye was completely tore out but the pupils were good so they can do some reconstruction on that," said the uncle. "The doctors said that there's many many surgeries there to do."

It's the second pit bull biting at the house in a year.

The owner, in that case, was fined. It could be the same dog that bit Friday. The dog owner was out of town. 

"He's very sorry about what happened and that they ought to go ahead and put the dog down." said his landlord.

Animal control removed a second pit bull from the house Friday night.

Police want to know if the dog owner kept the dog for fighting.

The family asks for prayers for little Amaya.

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