The family of a 10-year-old boy attacked by a loose dog have told how the animal “ragged” his arm before ripping off a chunk of skin.
A group of youngsters were playing football in a field off Bierley Lane, Bradford, when the dog, believed to be a Terrier mix, started bounding towards them.
Giorgi Fulbirg-Taylor was running away when the dog burst a football and “locked” onto his left arm.
His 15-year-old brother Blake Fulbirg-Taylor and friends Jimmy Kerridge, 14, and Kennadie Kerridge, 15, looked back on the scene after hearing Giorgi scream.
Jimmy was also injured in the scary ordeal, leaving him with bite wounds on his calf and hands.
The incident has left the entire group terrified of the playing field.
Kimberly, mum to Giorgi and Blake, said: “They heard a scream and saw my youngest son on the floor being attacked by the dog. Kennadie went to get help. The dog wouldn’t let go of him.
“They had several footballs with them. They were taking shots at each other, kicking the ball towards the goal.
“He said when he saw the dog running towards him it wouldn’t stop.
“Kennadie went to get help from passers-by, which resulted in three members of the public helping.
“He was smart enough to cover his face.
“They had to prize the dog’s mouth open. It was ragging his arm.
“One of the members of the public picked the dog up while the other focused on getting the dog off him.
“It locked onto his left arm and he’s ended up having surgery lasting around two hours. It was like plastic surgery, they called it at the hospital.
“It just missed a main nerve in his arm. It could still cause nerve damage.”
Warning: Graphic image containing blood
Just as the small, stocky and black dog was pulled away from Giorgi’s arm, the animal went on to attack Jimmy.
Three strangers picked the dog up and attempted to put something in the dog’s mouth to unleash his grip on Giorgi.
The dog went to bite Jimmy before one of the men pinned the dog to the floor.
“He got two bad bites to his hands that required stitches and two bites on his calf, where you can see the shape of the dog’s mouth,” his mum Helen Wood said.
“We’re not sure if it’s two separate bites or one and the dog’s mouth dragged.
“Kennadie phoned me absolutely panicked, heartbroken, scared. She just watched her friend’s little brother and her own brother be attacked.
“Her and Blake were so brave. They did everything they could do.
“We do have to deal with the mental effect of it all. No doubt it will come out in time. None of them are wanting to go back to the field again. They’re not wanting to go out. I’ve been out with Kennadie and she gets scared when she sees a dog.”
Now both families are calling for the dog to be seized from its owners and put down.
Kimberly, who described the dog as small, black and stocky, possibly a type of terrier mix, said: “If it’s attacked one child when they’ve got it off my child that’s dangerous.
“I’m the biggest animal lover. I understand they don’t want to put their dog down, but at the end of the day it’s dangerous. I couldn’t live with myself if that was my dog and I knew it had attacked a child. I don’t understand as a parent’s perspective, or dog owner’s perspective, how they can have the dog?”
Meanwhile Kimberly said she is helping Giorgi with the most basic needs and offering pain relief every six hours, as prescribed.
“Him and my dog are best of friends,” she said.
“They’ve grown up together. For him to be weary now, that’s telling me he’s scared.”
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Police are investigating after reports of two people being bitten by a loose dog on a field in Bierley.
“It happened on Tuesday, 14 February sometime between 2.15pm and 3pm on a field just off Bierley Lane.
“Both victims required hospital treatment for their injuries
“Enquiries are now ongoing with the owner of the dog and an investigation is underway.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police by calling 101 or live chat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.
The crime reference for this case is 13230092222.
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