Hernando woman bitten in face by 200-pound bull mastiff

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A newly adopted dog bit a Brooksville woman in the face after she tried to give it a kiss, then injured another person, Hernando County deputies said.

Deputies say it was just after 1 a.m. Wednesday when Justin Norman and Andrea Swartwood returned to their Canal Drive home after a night out at a local bar. Their two roommates had recently taken in a 200-pound bull mastiff from a man in Floral City known only as "Mike."

The dog "suddenly became aggressive" when Norman and Swartwood returned home, a sheriff's office spokesperson said, though one of the roommates later said the dog had never shown aggression in the "week or so" that they'd had it.

Swartwood approached the dog and leaned over to give it a kiss on the face. That's when the dog bit her on the face, then bit Norman's hand when he pulled the animal away.

Swartwood was taken by paramedics to a local hospital, then later transferred to a trauma center where her injuries could be addressed by a plastic surgeon.

A Hernando County Sheriff's Animal Enforcement Officer took the dog to Hernando County Animal Services. Its fate was not immediately clear.

The case remains under investigation, deputies added.