A five-year-old girl was grievously injured when two pet Rottweiler dogs ferociously attacked her in a park here and three persons including the pet owner have been detained, police said on Monday.

The girl, who is the daughter of a security guard, was playing in the park in Thousand Lights area on Sunday evening when the two Rottweilers pounced on her. Hearing her screams, the girl's mother and a few passers-by rushed to the kid's rescue and freed her from the clutches of the 'dangerous' breed.

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Dr J Radhakrishnan, who visited the girl at the hospital, announced that the civic body would bear the cost of her treatment.

"Three people, including the owner of the two Rottweilers have been detained by the police for inquiry. The GCC would rein in the pet owners who have either not obtained licences from the corporation or sterilised the dogs," Radhakrishnan said.

The kid is presently undergoing treatment at a private hospital here. "Currently her condition is stable but she is undergoing great pain. Her scalp was ripped for 11 inches and she was bitten in the legs and other places," Radhakrishnan said.

The civic body would treat the incident as a stray dog menace and act accordingly since it was a clear case of negligence on the part of the pet owner.

"Once her condition stabilised, doctors would decide on taking up plastic surgery on her," the Commissioner added.

Earlier speaking to reporters, he said the central government had in March sent a communication to all state chief secretaries asking them to ban the import or sale of 23 breeds of ferocious dogs including the Pitbull, Rottweiler, Terrier, and Mastiffs and their cross-breeds too.

Such dangerous dog breeds should be kept in leashes he said and warned of stringent action against the pet owners if due licences have not been obtained from the corporation.

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