Kyle Richards' Daughter Viciously Attacked By Sister Kim's Pit Bull

NYDailyNews.com:

“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kim Richards says she’s not sure what to do after her beloved pit bull attacked her niece, leaving a puncture wound on the teen’s thumb.

The reality TV veteran, 50, called dog Kingsley her “best friend” in a statement Thursday but said she also loved victim Alexia Umansky – the daughter of her sister Kyle Richards, another "Housewives" star – like she was her own daughter.

“The events that led up to Kingsley biting Alexia resulted from the girls entering my bedroom after I already told them my room was off limits,” Kim said in her statement, obtained by The News.

She said Alexia had been away at college for months, and the dog was no longer familiar with her.

“While the two have been very close and friendly in the past, the dog has become very protective of me in the meantime,” she said.

Kim said that immediately after the attack, she called her sister Kyle and took Alexia to the nearest emergency room, where the puncture wound on Alexia’s thumb was cleaned and bandaged.

She said Alexia re-entered the hospital two days later for a follow-up procedure, and she has visited and remained in close contact to make sure the 18-year-old was in “good spirits.”

“Regarding Alexia: She was attacked by a dog and has to have surgery. As always, she is trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Thank you for your thoughts & well wishes,” Kyle wrote Tuesday on Facebook without naming the dog.

Kim said she was torn over what to do with her unpredictable pooch.

“At this point I am looking at options to what the next step is for Kingsley,” she said. “As many of you can relate, he is my best friend. This is a very difficult decision and time for all of us, but the safety of my family always comes first.”

Kyle, 45, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to her Facebook post, Kyle shared pictures on Instagram showing daughter Alexia in a bed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with bandages on both hands.

"When life gives you lemons....make lemonade," Kyle wrote in one caption showing Alexia and her sisters staging a hospital slumber party.

Kingsley, a male, once attacked a trainer during an episode of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and reportedly has a history that’s known to animal control authorities.

Paramedics responded to Kim’s residence in March after Kingsley allegedly bit an unidentified female friend who was sitting on Kim’s bed, TMZ reported Thursday.

RELATED:  Kim Richards BLAMES THE VICTIM