Pit bull attacks teen, dog

MEDLEY, Fla. (WSVN) -- A teenager and her small dog are recovering from injuries after they were attacked by a pit bull in a South Florida neighborhood.

Yaleniee Martinez said she was walking her chihuahua in the area of West 51st place, when the pit bull charged out of a yard and attacked them.

The 19-year-old said, while she was trying to protect her dog, the pit bull bit her on her face and arms. "I was just trying to defend myself because it was attacking me, biting me everywhere. I couldn't even move. I was just screaming out for help," said Martinez.

Martinez and her dog are expected to be OK.

The pit bull, named Blake, is currently at Miami-Dade Animal Services where they said he will remain for the next five days. If the owner does not claim him, he will be put down. But the dog might have a chance at survival if the owner comes forward. The dog would then be quarantined for 10 days but would have to leave the county afterwards.

Kathleen Labrada of Miami-Dade Animal Service said Blake's owner is to blame for the vicious attack, not the dog. "Many different dog breads are aggressive with other dogs or smaller dogs," she said. "It's a matter of responsible pet ownership. If this dog had been leashed-- well, first if it was lawful to have one in the county-- if it had been leashed, this would have never taken place."

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)