A 2-year-old child had to undergo surgery and receive nearly 80 stitches after being bitten by a dog at a daycare home in Canada's Nova Scotia. The child's family alerted police about the incident Wednesday morning.

Police said the toddler was at a private daycare in Middle Sackville when the attack took place.

"The child had been in surgery at the IWK most of the night. As a result of the dog bite, the child required between 75 to 80 stitches," said Chris Marshall, an officer with Canada's federal police, CBC Canada reported. "The owner of the day home had not contacted police or called for an ambulance after the child suffered the bite."

The child's current condition remains unknown.

The breed of the dog was not revealed. Police also did not reveal what provoked the canine to attack the toddler.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, along with the province's Department of Community Services and Middle Sackville animal compliance section, are investigating the incident. Police are yet to name any person in the case. It also remains unclear if any charges will be filed against those who were taking care of the toddler at the time of the incident.

According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute, more than 500,000 dog bites occur every year in the country. Stacey Huneke, a registered veterinary technician in Ontario, says supervision is imperative if parents want to protect their children from dog attacks.

"Dogs and children must be supervised by alert adults," Huneke explained. "Any interaction, depending on the age of the child, should only be done together with an adult and only if the dog is comfortable."

"Adults should intervene if dogs are acting stressed," she said, adding, "Dogs should always have a child-free area to go. Dogs often show body language asking you to leave them alone before they bite. If you hear them growling you've already missed dozens of cues that your dog is uncomfortable."

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Representation. An ambulance. Pixabay
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