Child left with life-altering injuries after off-leash dog attack at Toronto playground: police

Toronto police say a child was taken to hospital with serious, life-altering injuries after being bitten and dragged by a dog at a waterfront playground on Saturday.

Officers were called to Little Norway Park, near Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bathurst Street, at about 10:15 a.m.

A news release issued Saturday said a woman was inside the playground area with a dog that was off-leash when a father approached the same area with his child.

The dog allegedly “charged toward” the child through an open gate, police said. The dog then bit and dragged the child to the ground, the release said.

After both the woman and the child’s father tried to get the dog to release the child, the woman fled northbound out of the area with her dog.

Investigators say the child was taken to hospital with serious, life-altering injuries as a result of the attack.

Police say there is concern for public safety and are seeking the public’s help in identifying the dog and its owner.

The woman is believed to be between 30 and 40 years old and roughly five-foot-nine to five-foot-11, the release said. She is described as having a large build, with dark hair in a ponytail.

The dog, meanwhile, is black, tan and white and was wearing a black hooded jacket with a chain collar.