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 arrested a 38-year-old woman later on Sunday in relation to the attack, according to a Monday police release. She has been taken into custody, police say, and faces five charges, including criminal negligence causing bodily harm and failing to prevent a dog from biting or attacking.

She is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning, the release says, and the dog has been seized by Toronto Animal Services.