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3-year-old's family asked to leave KFC due to dog mauling scars on face

Woman says she and her granddaughter were asked to leave a KFC because youngster's dog attack scars were too disturbing.

By Danielle Haynes

JACKSON, Miss., June 15 (UPI) -- A Mississippi woman said she and her 3-year-old granddaughter, who recently lost an eye after being mauled by three pit bulls, were asked to leave a KFC restaurant because the girl's scars were disturbing other diners.

Kelly Mullins said she took her granddaughter, Victoria Wilcher, to the restaurant after a doctor's appointment to get a drink and some mashed potatoes.

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"She was on a feeding tube at the time, but I figured she could just swallow (the potatoes)," Kelly Mullins said. "They just told us, they said, 'We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers.' (Victoria) understood exactly what they said."

Kelly Mullins said Victoria cried all the way home from the restaurant.

"The right side of her face is paralyzed. She's got a lot of surgeries to go through and she won't even look in the mirror anymore," she said. "When we go to a store, she doesn't even want to get out (of the car). She's 3 years old and she's embarrassed about what she looks like. She's embarrassed and I hate it because she shouldn't be. It ain't her fault."

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Kelly Mullins posted about the incident on Facebook with a photo of Victoria, saying "Does this face look scary to you?"

Victoria was injured by the dogs in April while visiting her grandfather, Donald Mullins, Kelly Mullins' ex-husband. One of Donald Mullins' pit bulls tore out of the back door and attacked the girl. Two other dogs dragged her into the back yard and began mauling her, police said.

Victoria suffered several broken bones in her face and lost an eye and feeling in the right side of her face.

"No matter what's wrong with a person, if a person's different, if a person's scarred, or is a different color or anything, people shouldn't be discriminated against," Kelly Mullins said. "Her being 3 years old and already being discriminated against, it makes me mad, because I know for the rest of her life it's going to be like that."

Representatives from KFC's corporate office have reached out to Victoria's family about the incident.

"KFC launched an investigation as soon as we were made aware of this report. We take this very seriously, as we have zero tolerance for any kind of hurtful or disrespectful actions toward our guests. Our investigation is ongoing, but we have been in touch with the family and are committed to doing something appropriate for this beautiful little girl and her family. We will also work with the franchisee to take appropriate action at the restaurant once the specifics of the incident are determined," said KFC spokesman Rick Maynard.

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Since the incident at KFC, a Facebook page dedicated to Victoria's recovery, Victorias Victories, has had a spike in likes, from 250 to nearly 30,000.

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