A Wellingborough five-year-old girl has been left with permanent scarring after being attacked outside her home.
Lola Miller had bent down to stroke the French bulldog, in the care of another child, when the dog bit her cheek, ripping a hole in her face.
Now mum Katie has called for action to tighten laws around dogs after she was left fearing for her daughter’s life.
Mrs Miller said: “I thought my daughter was going to die. It was only inches away from her neck. It should never have happened. A child should never be in charge of a dog. The government needs to look into laws – something needs to be done. Police need to take different action, they need to seize a dog every time an adult or a child is attacked. I feel the police have left me in a position where I don’t feel safe in my own street.”
The attack took place on a green close to the Miller’s family home where Lola was playing. Mrs Miller had been keeping an eye on her children when she heard a ‘growl’ and a ‘commotion’.
She said: “The dog clung on to her face. It wasn’t a little nip. It ripped a hole in her face. It happened so quickly. She was crying but at the same time she was in a state of shock, covered in blood. I think my panic made her cry even more.”
Lola was rushed to A&E at Kettering General Hospital where she was assessed and referred to a maxillofacial specialist at Northampton General Hospital. Her wound was cleaned and sutured under general anaesthetic – a procedure that took about two hours.
Lola is now back home recovering.
Mum Katie said: “She’s had to come home with pain relief and antibiotics. She’s not sleeping properly. This morning she raided my make-up to get some foundation to cover her scar. Her friends keep knocking to play with her but they need to stay in the garden.
“Every dog is dangerous, no matter what size.
“I’m angry, upset and worried. Tougher laws need to be put in place for anyone who wants to own a dog. My daughter’s face is scarred for life and some cosmetic procedures to help heal scars better are not funded on the NHS. I’m also worried she will not get the right compensation she needs to be able to pay for these in the future. It’s my daughter who is going to suffer.”
A spokesman for Northants Police said: “This incident happened at about 10pm on May 18 in Wakefield when a French bulldog bit a five-year-old girl which required hospital treatment.
“Police are investigating this incident.”
