A court case starts here in Toronto on Thursday that will attract the attention of parents and dog lovers.

It's about a dog attacking a 7-year old girl in August. It happened in the backyard of a friend's house in Roncesvalles.

The family was dog-sitting a German Shepherd-Collie mix.
The canine was in the backyard with the kids and their mothers. When the mothers went inside to check on dinner, the dog attacked a 7-year old visitor. Her face was punctured in both cheeks and it took 40 stitches to close the wounds.

The dog named "Panny" is a rescue from Panama and was in the possession of veterinarians from the same neighbourhood. The neighbour who's home this happened in, Vanessa Vandenberghe told the Star she would never have allowed the dog to stay with them if she knew he would be aggressive with kids.

The little girl's mother wants the justice of the peace to order the dog be put down. The woman is not only a parent but also a dog-owner and says "an animal that has mauled a child is a danger to society, and that danger needs to be neutralized."

John Booth, the veterinarian who had the dog originally says the entire incident is regrettable, but he still thinks it's an overreaction.

The dog belongs to April Douglas now, who says Panny is wonderful and they have contacted a lawyer to do everything possible to keep him safe.

(some files by D. Agar)