No pet owner expects their beloved family pet to turn against them, but that's exactly what happened to a little girl from Boone County at a relative's house last night.

The three year old was brutally attacked by a pit bull. Luckily, this girl is still alive.

We're told she had to have surgery to reconstruct part of her face.

Witnesses tell us one minute the girl was petting the dog, the next minute she was being attacked.

Only three years old, her life is now changed forever and no one knows why this very calm dog suddenly turned violent.

Grabbing her by the face and not letting go until family members were able to pull the dog off, putting this young girl in the hospital.

Now the pit bull is locked up at the dog pound and will not return back to this yard again.

A family dog that was supposed to protect this little girl turned against her and the grandfather doesn't want any other family to have to shed these tears. He now believes pit bulls are not meant to be a part of the family.

The young girl lives with her grandparents. She was over a relative's house next door when the dog attacked her.

This little girl knew this dog very well and she was used to playing with it. That's what the family finds very surprising about this attack.

We're told the girl is expected to be release from the hospital today.