Schoolboy scarred for life after Rottweiler attack

The mum of a schoolboy who was mauled by a Rottweiler is urging people to keep dogs on leads.

The child – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – suffered multiple puncture wounds to his left forearm in the unprovoked attack.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the Rottweiler sprint across a main road to tear at the youngster.

The dog’s owner was also said to have been too scared to intervene so the savage attack only ended after quick-thinking bystanders rushed in.

The 12-year-old child was left with nerve damage, multiple scars and a profound fear of dogs while the dog’s owner was ordered to pay a fine and the Rottweiler was ordered to be put down.

The boy’s mother said:

“I am firm believer that bad dog breeds do not exist – but bad dog owners do.

“What happened to my son is proof of that and I hope people learn from this to stop future tragedies.”

The boy was walking to meet friends when he was attacked.

As the dog bolted across the road it nearly caused a pile up as drivers were forced to hit their brakes.

The child recalled:

“I was just walking when I heard a car horn and when I turned round the dog was on me. I don’t remember much but it was really scary.”

He was saved by nearby workers on a break – they rushed in, chased the dog away and lifted the youngster over a wall to safety.

He was taken to hospital where he was kept in for two nights and underwent surgical treatment.

It took around 12 weeks for his wounds to heal but was left with significant scarring and nerve damage.

The child added:

“I don’t have much feeling around the bite marks and when I touch the skin it’s like I’m touching someone else’s arm.

“I definitely don’t like dogs anymore and now I cross the street if I see any dog coming towards me and I don’t like going to the park or beach where I see dogs off a lead.”

His mum said:

“The nurses said they’d never seen a dog bite like it.

“Before the attack my son was the biggest animal lover in the family but that’s now changed – he’s now even wary around dogs he’s known for years like his gran’s dogs.”

The 27-year-old male owner of the Rottweiler was prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The Sheriff issued a £300 fine and ordered the dog to be destroyed at a later sentencing hearing.

The boy’s mum added:

“No one wants to see a dog destroyed but the authorities must have had reason to believe there was a future risk.

“What is strange to me is people who adopt dogs from charities have to go through screening, background checks or home visits.

“Yet when buying a dog privately or online, any person can buy any dog without any checks.

“At the very least, keeping a dog on a lead in public places is a reasonable place to start in responsible dog ownership.

“What happened could have been much worse and I hope people learn from this.”

Damian White, Partner at Digby Brown in Ayr, added:

“What happened to this young boy was truly traumatic – he suffered serious injuries but psychological scars have their own lasting impact too.

“While this dog owner was prosecuted a conviction is not essential for people to seek damages in the civil court.”