Dog owner arrested after Bull terrier rips ear off child

By Michael Baggs | January 23, 2012 7:55 AM

A six year old girl who having been seized by a Bull terrier while walking with her family remained in hospital last night having lost part of her ear after the dog's random frenzied attack.

The fifty six year old owner of the dog is due to appear in Thames Magistrates Court, charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act, after the attack in Chingford on Saturday. He walked into a local police station yesterday and was arrested on suspicion of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place.

Witnesses say the father repeatedly punched the animal in the head as it attacked his daughter, biting her in the neck, face and shoulder. A witness to the attack says said: "This woman came running down with her husband and another little kid... and screaming, 'keep your dogs away from my daughter'."

The girl was rushed to hospital for immediate treatment and required plastic surgery. Doctors have said she is stable but could face scaring for life. Her father who was also walking with the girl, her mother and another child was said to have returned to look for the ear, part of which was later found by walkers yesterday.

Following the attack there have been more calls for reform to the Dangerous Dogs Act and for a more structured registry of dog ownership, either in form of licenses or microchipping. We at Petside would like to extend our hopes that the girl and her family make a full recovery.

Image source: flickr user Lee J Haywood

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