Girl ‘unable to smile again’ after dog attack left her needing 1,000 stitches to the face

A six-year-old girl may never smile again after a pit bull attack left her with several facial injuries, claimed a family friend, citing doctors.

Maine resident Lily Norton received 1,000 stitches on her face after getting mauled by a pit bull on 18 February, reported The Sun Journal.

Family friend CJ Pitcher, who created a fundraiser for the girl, told the outlet, that her salivary glands are not working and her muscles are too damaged.

According to Mr Pitcher, Lily’s doctors told her that she won’t be able to smile again.

“Her salivary glands aren’t working... and doctors said she won’t be able to smile again,” Mr Pitcher told The Sun Journal. “Muscles are too damaged.”

Lily will be sedated for at least a week to prevent her from scratching at her face and will also need a breathing tube.

“She has over 1,000 stitches from below her eyes all the way to under her chin. This poor sweet little girl has had her life changed forever,” he wrote in the GoFundMe page.

“She’s only 6. Not to mention her parents life has now been flip over (sic).”

“She’s still sedated because she has a breathing tube in,” her mother was quoted as saying by the Daily Beast. “But other than that, she’s really good. She looks really good.”

The attack occurred when Lily was at a friend’s house for a playdate. The friend’s mother was reportedly dog sitting the pit bull when it attacked the girl. The friend’s mother rushed Lily to a nearby hospital where she underwent treatment.

Earlier last week, the little girl was then flown by a medical helicopter to Boston Children’s Hospital to receive better care and is expected to stay there for a few days.

The GoFundMe request has received over 1,000 donations, with about $56,000 raised against a $6,500 goal to help Lily undergo further treatment.

Pit bulls have a reputation for being aggressive, and attacks by the breed have been the subject of much debate in recent years.

Experts say any dogs, including pit bulls, only attack when they are mistreated or not trained properly.

Many cities and towns have passed laws regulating pit bulls in an effort to prevent attacks. Maine is one of several states that have breed-specific legislation targeting pit bulls.