Toddler Mauled by Pack of Puppies Recovering Well But Faces More Surgeries; Family Warns of Littermate Syndrome

A toddler is currently recovering well at a California hospital after four Queensland Labrador puppies mauled her in what appeared to be a case of littermate syndrome. Though she is "recovering beautifully," according to her mom, Sierra Michele Peden, Felicity, 2, will still need more plastic surgery as she ages.

The puppies mutilated Felicity's eyes, ears, neck, and upper body. The Peden family was unaware of littermate syndrome until they turned the dogs to Animal Control, according to People.

Sierra and her husband, Michael, adopted the puppies in May 2022 and named them Amarah, Gideon, Keerah, and Negan. Their kids, Felicity and her three siblings, Samantha, 13, Daisy, 11, and Daryl, 1, were thrilled to have the pets at home. 

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Mauling Happened Within 10 Minutes

While the family was preparing for Felicity's birthday celebration on Friday, June 3, Sierra left to buy some stuff and had her husband take care of the kids. However, the mom wasn't gone for 20 minutes when she got a call about Felicity in the hospital.

In a post on GoFundMe, Sierra said that she was horrified to see her daughter's face when she got to the hospital. She felt even worse when she smelled "puppy slobber" on her head, which had been covered in bandages due to the bites.

Sierra said that they had the puppies for at least three weeks, and they didn't show any reason that would have prevented her or her husband from letting the kids play with them. However, the day of the incident was the first time Felicity was all alone with the puppies. The mother said that the attack likely happened within 10 minutes.

Felicity, her siblings, and the puppies were in the backyard with their father. When it was time to go inside, Michael thought he had all the kids with him. He found Felicity bleeding and lying unconscious on the ground in the backyard.

"We concluded that the only thing in the backyard that could have caused that kind of damage to her was the puppies," Sierra said.

Due to Felicity's injuries, she had to be transferred from Bakersfield to Fresno for plastic surgery. After a three-hour procedure, doctors informed the parents that they could not save her left ear. The inner ear, however, remains intact.

The nightmare didn't end there, as Felicity's kidneys were failing due to the physical trauma. She needed dialysis and regular scans so the doctors could determine if there were lasting damages to her organs.

Fortunately, Felicity has been given an all-clear after seven days, but she still has many doctor's appointments in the coming weeks. Sierra said that she and her husband accept full responsibility for what happened to their daughter, but they are grateful for the support and well-wishes from all over the world.

To date, the fundraiser for Felicity's medical bills nears $15,000. The family has been trying to raise awareness about littermate syndrome as well.

What is Littermate Syndrome?

The local Animal Control said that Amarah, Gideon, Keerah, and Negan would not be put down, but they will have to be rehomed separately to discourage littermate syndrome. This happens when puppies of the same litter grow up together beyond ten weeks and then develop such a strong attachment for each other, which may affect their ability to interact, socialize and behave with others if they are not in a pack.

As a result of growing with a pack, the pups develop behavioral issues or "pack behaviors" that may be competitive, violent, and aggressive. According to Great Pet Care, puppies with littermate syndrome may have high anxiety and can become destructive. It can be more challenging to train together because the pack can be distracted by one another.

Thus, veterinarians warn families to be extra-ready to take in puppies from the same litter because of the additional challenges. They will need more training and reinforcement if this is the case.

Littermate syndrome is not breed-specific; it can happen with any dog in a pack. While there are exceptions, families raising a litter must learn to gradually separate the dogs, with separate feeding times, crates, rooms, and walking schedules. The pups also have to socialize separately with other dogs while also giving them enough time to play with their siblings.

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