Young girl mauled by 3 dogs while viewing puppies for sale in Newmarket, Ont.

Was girl's mauling by three dogs preventable? One resident where a nine-year-old girl was mauled by three large dogs says she had previously reported an attack.

A nine-year-old was severely injured after police say she was mauled by three dogs while viewing puppies for sale at a residence in Newmarket, Ont. last month.

In a news release issued Tuesday, York Regional Police said officers were called to a house on Jackson Court near Highway 404 and Davis Drive on July 27 at 6:05 p.m. for an animal complaint.

At that time, a nine-year-old girl and her father had travelled to the house to view puppies that were listed for sale.

Three dogs then “rushed” out of the house and attacked the girl “without provocation,” police said.

The girl was transported to hospital in serious but non-life-threatening condition, with what police described as “severe bites.”

Later that evening, police said local animal services attended the residence and the three dogs were surrendered by the owner and euthanized.

A spokesperson for York Regional Police told CTV News Toronto they don't currently have the official breed of the dogs confirmed, but said "all three dogs were a type of bulldog and were generally referred to as such."

The child was released from the hospital and continues to recover at home, police said.

Following an investigation, police charged 68-year-old Newmarket resident Leslie Theodore Kovacs with criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Kovacs was also charged with three counts under the Ontario Dog Owners’ Liability Act, police added.

Kovacs is set to appear in a Newmarket courtroom on September 12.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact York Regional Police #1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7141.

Tuesday’s news comes after the City of Toronto said last week that there has been a recent “surge” in off-leash dog attacks in the city.

In 2022, the city recorded 1,316 dog attacks -- up 39 per cent from 2021 when 946 attacks were reported.

CTV News Toronto has asked York Regional Police for similar statistics on dog attacks in the region but did not receive that information before publication.