A two-year-old child lost an arm after reaching into a pen with two wolf-dog hybrids at an “unlicensed” sanctuary owned by her grandmother.

The child’s grandmother, Brenda Pearson, founded the Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where the unfortunate incident involving the child, Sophia Scraver, happened.

While initial reports claim that the wolf-dogs attacked Sophia, Pearson believed that the animals attacked her granddaughter.

“’I don’t believe there was an attack because there were no bites wounds at all from the elbow to the tip of the fingers,” she defended.

Pearson believes that her granddaughter was trying to reach the shiny collar worn by one of the dogs, and was able to grab it.

However, the dog pulled away, got her arm stuck in the fence at the elbow that caused her arm to detach from her body.

“After she was rushed to the hospital, I went back to the pen and picked up her little arm,” she added.

“Her little hand was still closed as if she was still grasping the collar.  She had no bite wounds on her arm.”

She continued to defend that if her granddaughter was bitten, she must have at least two puncture wounds on her arm

“If the animal bit an arm that was inside the pen, there would be bite wounds on the hand and lower part of the arm.”

The Department of Natural Resources said that they are investigating the validity of the facility’s license.

According to them, the Wolf Dog Cross Act of 2000 requires that the animals need to be permitted through the most local form of government within the county.

Pearson clarified that she has secured the necessary permits, and clarified that “this license existed 2010 to 2019 when they decided we no longer required a shelter classification.”

Meanwhile, a friend of the family started a GoFundMe to help raise money to “help cover medical expenses as well as any expenses towards a future prosthetic for her.”

The post also assured that Sophia is “doing very well and still has that beautiful smile.”