DUBUQUE, IA (WKOW/CNN) - A 2-year-old girl sustained injuries to her arm and hand form an attack by a wolf. The animal was kept in a cage at her great-grandmother's house.
The family is optimistic Addelyn will only need one more surgery for the 100 puncture wounds she suffered. The great grandmother in the case pleaded no contest and was found guilty of possessing a captive wild animal without a license and faces a fine.
The wolf was put down.
It began innocent enough, on a trip to Potosi, WI, to visit her great grandmother.
"She was out there feeding the pony in the yard and made her way over to the wolf cage and to my understanding tried to feed him a pretzel," said Toni Walker, Addelyn's mother.
She described Addelyn's experience as "awful" and said surgeons initially weren't sure if they could save the child's arm.
Walker said she believes the wolf was not to blame.
"Ever since I can remember, my grandmother had these wild animals, and we used to bottle feed them," the mother said. "And I have pictures of me with the wolf that bit Addelyn."
The 2-year-old's mother said the wolf was considered a part of the family, which is why she didn't see the "complete dangers" of it.
Addelyn will require lot of physical therapy, and it may take years for her to make a full recovery, although the doctors told the family there's no promise of that.
The 2-year-old had eight surgeries in the last month.
"She has her arm and she is here and that what matters most," Walker said.
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