Photo courtesy of Casey Winter Casey Winter, shown with daughters Vi’Vienne Vera-Winter and Zophiana Vera-Winter, said her family are still recovering after Zophiana, 6, was severely injured by dogs on Jan. 25. Zophiana underwent surgeries for bites to her arm, legs and ear. Recently, charges were filed in Lyon County District Court against the owner of the dogs.

A 6-year-old girl who was severely injured by dogs in January is recovering, her mother said this week. But while their family’s life is starting to get back into a routine, Casey Winter said, it can still be a struggle.

“We’re kind of doing our best with what we’ve got. We’re trying to stay positive through it all,” said Winter, a Minnesota resident

Winter said her daughter Zophiana Vera-Winter has started getting back to regular activities like going to school. Zophiana underwent surgeries for injuries to her arm, legs and ear, after being bitten by three dogs on Jan. 25. “I’m really proud of how well she’s doing,” Winter said. At the same time, the family were still going through “ups and downs,” she said.

Last week, misdemeanor charges were filed in Lyon County District Court against 44-year-old Katrina Marie Davis, the owner of the dogs that attacked Zophiana. Court documents said the city of Minneota took custody of two of the dogs, to move forward with an order to destroy them. The two dogs had previously been declared dangerous by the city of Minneota.

A third dog, which was declared dangerous by the city of Ghent, was still in custody at the kennel, said Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen.

Winter said Zophiana and her sister Vi’Vienne were in the care of a babysitter at the time of the dog attack. The woman watching the two girls wasn’t Winter’s usual babysitter, she said.

The dog attack happened at a Ghent residence where Davis lived.

Winter said Zophiana’s injuries weren’t the only outcome of the dog attack. There’s been an emotional toll too. “My daughter who saw it, she struggles a lot with it. I struggle with it a lot,” Winter said. Winter said that, as she returns to work, “I really struggle with them going to a babysitter.”

After the dog attack, Winter said she cut contact with the babysitter who was watching the girls.

Another thing that was hard about the dog attack was that Zophiana liked dogs, and some of their friends and family members have dogs, Winter said.

“We have had the conversation about how not all dogs are good,” she said.

Winter said her family was looking into resources to help them with moving forward. She said they were also waiting to see whether Zophiana might need future surgery to help with scarring.

Last week, misdemeanor charges of substantial bodily harm caused by a dog were filed against Katrina Marie Davis in Lyon County District Court. A hearing in the case is scheduled for March 5.

A criminal complaint alleges that Davis’s three pit bulls attacked a child and caused multiple bite injuries. The attack took place at a residence in Ghent where Davis was living.

“I do think it’s appropriate,” Winter said of criminal charges being filed after the attack. “There’s not really much that can make up for this, but I feel like somebody should be held accountable.”

The criminal complaint said the city of Minneota took custody of two of the dogs in the attack, to move forward with an order to destroy them.

Davis has two past misdemeanor convictions for dogs running at large, according to Lyon County District Court records. Those complaints were filed in 2021 and 2022. In one of those incidents, two of Davis’s dogs injured another dog in Minneota, causing more than $700 in veterinary bills, court records said. In a civil suit filed in 2022, a Lyon County District Court judge gave law enforcement the authority to enforce an order to destroy the two dogs, court documents said.

Lyon County court records showed there are currently two other open court cases involving Davis. Last year, she was charged with making threats of violence and disorderly conduct, for allegedly threatening the Lyon County Administrator. A pre-trial hearing date in that case is set for March 28. The other ongoing case involving Davis is a petition for civil commitment due to mental illness.

In the criminal complaint for the dog attack, Davis was described as not making sense when speaking to a Lyon County deputy. The complaint alleged she told law enforcement the injured child was “fake.”