'I just want her to smile': Texas family struggles after pit bull attacks 2-year-old girl

A Texas community is rallying around a 2-year-old girl after a pit bull attacked the toddler, tearing her face, crushing her cheek bones and injuring her leg.

Described as "a special, happy, beautiful little girl" on a GoFundMe created to raise money for her medical care, McKenna Martin was attacked about two weeks ago in a family friend's home in the Fort Worth area, her parents told WFAA-TV.

“The massive trauma done to her beautiful face is something no one should have to go through, especially a (2-year-old)," GoFundMe organizer Brittnee Williams wrote. 

"We are very fortunate that she survived this brutal attack,” she wrote.

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How is McKenna Martin doing now? 

McKenna’s mom, Dalena Martin, said on GoFundMe that her daughter was "doing great" in a condition update she posted on Nov. 6.

“She will be coming off the paralytic (muscle relaxers) today so my baby will be waking up!" she wrote. "She has color in her face and the swelling has gone down tremendously."

She told WFAA-TV this week that it'll be a long road ahead for her daughter.

“I feel like she’s lost her light, she’s scared,” she said. “I just want her to smile.”  

'McKenna is an angel,' fundraiser says

The GoFundMe has raised $1,350 out of a $500 goal as of Wednesday. 

The family is seeking donations to help cover the cost of McKenna’s future appointments, travel expenses and other costs related to her injuries, which include extensive nerve damage caused when the dog tore her nose, nostrils and tear ducts from her skull, according to the GoFundMe.

Help our Sweet McKenna, organized by Brittnee Williams

She will have to undergo procedures the rest of her life because of the extent of the trauma she endured, the GoFundMe says.  

“McKenna is an angel, one of those children that you're just drawn to," the post says. "She's been a fighter since she was born at 2lbs 9 oz ... She has a beautiful spirit."

The fate of the dog that attacked McKenna is unclear. Her parents told WFAA-TV that the dog attacked her suddenly and lunged at her from across the room. Though the dog had been becoming reactive, she had laid with McKenna the night before, they said.

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Are pit bulls an aggressive breed? 

Pit bull advocates and some experts say that the breed is not inherently aggressive but can be trained to be.

“Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. That means that they may be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs," according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "It doesn’t mean that they can’t be around other dogs or that they’re unpredictably aggressive. Other pit bulls were specifically bred for work and companionship."

The group says that pit bulls have long been popular family pets are beloved for "their gentleness, affection and loyalty."

"Even those pit bulls bred to fight other animals were not prone to aggressiveness toward people,” the group says.

A dog’s genetics and environment may influence its behavior in certain ways, but it's important to evaluate and treat every dog as an individual, regardless of its breed, the group says.

Among myths about pit bulls, according to animal experts, are that they have locking jaws, are inherently unpredictable and can tolerate high amounts of pain.

How to address aggressive behavior in dogs

The best way to combat aggressive behavior in all dogs, including pit bulls, is socialization. Puppies that learn how to interact, play and communicate with both people and members of their own and other species are less likely to show aggressive behavior as adults, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals," the write. "Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together."