A British newspaper claims that the barking sound effects from Nintendogs were responsible for bull mastiff mauling a 9-year-old girl playing the game.
Megan Walker told The Daily Mail that on Sept. 19 the dog had dragged her from the couch at a friend's house and bit her face, tearing off a part of her lip (since reattached). The animal has been put down.
Said Megan: 'When I woke up I turned on the Nintendo. It barked and Saracen [the mastiff] dragged me off the couch by my foot. I was scared.'
A second dog attacked Saracen, to protect Megan. The dog in question was not a banned or regulated breed and its owner signed it over for destruction.
"People should be told not to play it when there are dogs in the room," said Megan's grandmother. "I blame the game for what happened to Megan. If they hadn't been playing it I don't think the dog would have gone for her.'
The dog's owner, however, speculates that Megan may have kicked Saracen, provoking the attack.
Terrified Schoolgirl, 9, Has Top Lip Ripped Off By Dog After It Heard Barking On Her Nintendo DS [The Daily Mail, image by The Daily Mail]