Raleigh toddler back home after recovering from family dog bite

Friday night brings good news as Kennedy Kruger, a two-year-old from Raleigh, is finally home after a scary ordeal.

She spent six days in the hospital recovering from a dog bite that left a deep wound across her face.

Despite her significant recovery, her mom is still haunted by the terrifying ordeal.

It’s hard for Kimberly Kruger to process again. She watched as her daughter, Kennedy, fell onto their family dog and left with a bite across half her face.

“You really think it can’t happen to you it’s never going to happen to me,” Kruger said. “My dog’s never bitten anybody, my dog’s never done anything wrong.”

Kruger rushed Kennedy to the hospital, where she got surgery and nearly 200 stitches.

“I’ll count my blessings because it could have been her throat, or it could have been her eyes, or something much much worse,” Kruger said.

A bright spot in a dark time, but Kruger feels another pain: her longtime dog now sits in an animal shelter, quarantined and waiting to be rehomed.

“I feel bad for both of them,” Kruger said. “Neither of them deserve what’s happening to them right now.”

No warning signs, no history—just hope that her toddler and her dog will be okay.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. But just be vigilant,” Kruger said.

The family is still waiting to see how things heal and if there’s any nerve damage.

There may be even more surgery down the line.

The community rallied around the family while their daughter was hospitalized.

The fairytale dreamer group coordinated a “character” to visit the hospital. He was dressed as Blippi from her favorite show.