A 9-year-old girl from Alabama endured severe injuries after a brutal dog attack, during which the animal “grabbed” her face before biting her back.

The distressing incident unfolded on November 7, as Delyla McCay sat with her 13-year-old sister outside their apartment in Hanceville. A blue heeler, being walked by another child, suddenly lunged at her, locking its jaws onto her face. It took the intervention of a nearby teenager, who bravely hit the aggressive dog, to momentarily stop the attack, as recounted by the girl’s mother to WBRC.

Despite the teenager’s effort, which resulted in him getting bitten as well, the relentless dog returned to attack Delyla’s back.

“Delyla herself said, ‘Mommy, it grabbed my face, and it was just shaking,'” Katie McCay shared with the news outlet. She described the chaos and screams that ensued, as her daughter remained paralyzed with shock during the ordeal.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Delyla is the sweetest child anyone could meet. Many wonder if she provoked the dog, but my daughter was simply sitting there. She’s incredibly gentle,” McCay emphasized.

In the aftermath, the young girl was airlifted to Children’s Hospital, a detail highlighted in a GoFundMe campaign launched by her family to assist with her recovery.

The terrifying ordeal left the youngster’s face bloody and severely bruised, requiring dozens of stitches across her nose, mouth, cheeks and upper lip, according to grisly photos shared on the fundraiser.

McCay said her daughter also got stitches on her back and body, rabies shots, and will need plastic surgery to recover from her devastating wounds.

“Her face is still so swollen, and I think she’s still just in shock,” the distressed mother told the outlet, noting that her daughter was released from the hospital Monday night and has a long road to recovery.

“I feel a lot of anger now. For a few days, it was crying, and now, I’m pretty angry. It’s hard for everybody. It’s hard all around because I know that they probably feel terrible.”

The frenzied dog has since been put down, according to Cullman County Animal Control, WHNT reported.

The dog’s remains were sent for testing after authorities discovered it wasn’t current on its shots.

The investigation into the attack is still ongoing.