A Huntington Station family says their dog was attacked during a holiday photoshoot on the beach, and now that their pet is on the mend, they need help paying rapidly growing vet bills.

The Leidl family went to Overlook Beach in Babylon on Thursday to take some holiday pictures as a family with their puppy, Toby. They say their 9-pound Maltese-Shih Tzu was brutally attacked by an unleashed pit bull on the beach.

The family says the most traumatic part was seeing the pit bull's teeth around their little dog. They say it took about six to seven minutes before the pit bull released its grip.

They say that the pit bull’s owner started driving away, but police say a witness got her license plate number. The owner of the pit bull expressed remorse and agreed to pay for some of the vet bills, but the family says it's nowhere near enough.

The family says Toby, who received 10 blood transfusions and underwent surgery, is now stable and they are hoping for his speedy recovery. They say that they are struggling with how they are going to pay for the vet bills.

The family has started a GoFundMe page for those who would like the help the family pay for Toby’s medical bills.