Sunderland Dog Attack: Forty-Eight Stitches For Teenager Whose Face Was Mauled By A German Shepherd

[GemMan 96]

Sunderland Dog Attack: Forty-Eight Stitches For Teenager Whose Face Was Mauled By A German Shepherd 

VIDEO: Distressed mum Carol Reynolds talks about her daughter's attack

 

A 13-year-old girl from Sunderland is recovering from a dog attack which left her needing 48 stitches to repair the wounds on her face.

 

Meghan Reynolds from Grindon was walking with a friend through Herrington Country Park when she was attacked by a German Shepherd.

The two girls had gone over to stroke the dog, which was on a long lead accompanied by its owners - a couple who foster children in Sunderland.

Though Meghan never touched the animal, it turned on her after being petted by her companion, who was not injured in the attack.

Meghan said: "I don't remember much. It's all a bit blurry. I was coming home from a barbeque and it was sunny so we'd walked through the park.

"It all happened really quickly, my friend stroked it and then all of a sudden it was on top of me, it pulled me down with my hair and it was attacking my face.

"I'm okay. We've had loads of my friends and family round and everyone's been really nice and my brother has bought me a new pair of shoes.

"The stitches are out now but I still don't really like everyone seeing my face like this yet. But it'll be better when the swelling goes down."

The dog owners and passers-by stayed with the teenager for forty minutes waiting for an ambulance to arrive because of a high number of life-threatening call-outs.

Eventually a police officer decided to drive Meghan to Sunderland Royal Hospital himself, where she endured four hours of surgery to repair her face.

 

It is legal to own German Shepherd dogs in the UK. It was a German Shepherd that mauled 13-year-old Meghan Reynolds in Sunderland in 2013.

Her mum Carol said: "I'm furious. What if she'd gone in to shock, isn't that life-threatening? Thank God for the police officer who was there, he was absolutely brilliant.

"I was so worried when I got a call, I didn't really know what to expect, or what she'd look like I just knew it was a dog attack.

"It was heart-breaking. There was blood everywhere, it had ripped right from her mouth to her cheek, and near her eye.

"She's been so brave, it's me that's been a wreck. She has her down moments. She's upset about the way her mouth looks, but she just finds it from somewhere to get herself back up."

According to the Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who are responsible for legislation regarding dangerous dogs, nine children and seven adults have been killed in dog attacks in the UK since 2005.

Northumbria Police statistics show reported cases of dog attacks in the North East have fallen over the past three years, with 32 dog attacks in 2012, 44 dog attacks in 2011 and 62 dog attacks in 2010.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which aims to protect people from injury or from fear of dogs, makes it a criminal offence to allow any dogs to be out of control in a public place.

It also bans ownership of Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero, thought applications to exempt dogs can be made.

Moves to toughen the law are being made, with the exemption application fees increasing in July 2013, and the family of Jade Anderson, a 14-year-old girl killed by a pack of aggressive dogs, campaigning for the law to include out of control dogs on private as well as public property.

 

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Mum Of Girl Mauled By Staffordshire Bull Terrier Says ‘Don’t Blame The Dog’

Video: Rebecca Learmouth was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier

 

The mum of a girl attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier says the blame should lie with the owners, not the dogs.

 

Six-year-old Rebecca Learmouth was mauled by the dog while playing near her home in Byker, Newcastle on Tuesday May 29.

Rebecca was left with wounds to her mouth, nose and cheek and needed surgery to repair her injuries.

It’s the second attack by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Tyne and Wear this month after eight-year-old Jonathon Harwood was mauled in South Shields.

Despite her ordeal, mum Louise Cavanah says she doesn’t blame the breed and says it’s the owners who should be held accountable.

She said: “Not all dogs are the same, it’s just the way some of them are being brought up.

“They’re being used for street cred and protection. At one point it was a Rottweiler and now it’s a Staffie.”

[eatmyshorts 201]

The Dangerous Dogs Act is a farce, it wasn't thought through properly before being rushed to be made law. Irresponsible owners are to blame and should be put down, the dog only does what it is taught to do in most cases. I've had 4 GSDs and they've never attacked anyone, albeit they have barked at certain people. I hope she makes a good recovery, I can't say I've heard that news story tbh.  People forget that dogs are descendents of wolves and should be treated as such sometimes, regular reminders of discipline and who's the alpha. Both myself and my dog have been attacked by dogs that weren't on the lead, like they are supposed to be. I won't repeat what I said to the last owner of a mastiff cross pitbull.....its not for children or adults to see Lets just say, he hasn't been in the area where I walk my dog for over 6 months