UNITED KINGDOM -- The toddler, named locally as Zumer Ahmed, died after being savaged by a large, white American Bulldog, which belonged to her uncle.
It is not a breed that is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act but the dog’s owner, named locally as Urfan Ahmed, 32, is being questioned on suspicion of manslaughter.
Zumer was with her mother, Saira Ahmed, grandmother, and three-year-old sister when the animal ran into the kitchen of the house in Crawley, West Sussex, and bit into her face and skull.
Two plumbers working on a nearby property went to the child's aid after hearing screams. They bravely distracted the dog, which was waist height to an adult, and prized the toddler from its jaws.
A friend of the workers, who are called Arthur and Saquib, said: "When they got in the house the family were just in complete shock and the dog had the child in its mouth.
"One of them went to get his tools while the other found a white towel and started to move towards the dog.
"There was blood everywhere and apparently the dog had the girl in it's mouth like it was a doll. They said it was like it was literally eating the child.
"The dog had ripped nearly all of the flesh off her skull, which was covered in teeth marks. The dog was licking up the blood.”
Police confirmed that one of the plumbers had pulled the child away from the dog. She was taken to East Surrey Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Zumer's parents, named by neighbours as Nazir and Saira Ahmed, were said to be utterly distraught last night.
The 32-year-old uncle, Urfan, lived at the address but was not home at the time. He was arrested by police when he arrived shortly afterwards.
It is understood the man kept four dogs in the garden of the terraced property.
Neighbour Ana Andrade, 35, said: "I think it was a really tragic accident, his dogs were so well-behaved.
"He would always be teaching them, they were like big teddy bears. This is such a shock, he is such a responsible owner."
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he had often seen the dogs being walked in the area.
He said: "I am surprised this is what has happened, my little one strokes his dogs. He's not one of those guys who has a dog because it's a status symbol, he loves his dogs and they are walked every day.”
Det Ch Insp Trevor Bowles, who is leading the enquiry, said: "Officers have been working through the night to build up a picture of what lead to this appalling tragedy. Our inquiries our actively continuing and a suspect remains in custody.
"There is little more we can say in terms what occurred at this address yesterday afternoon, but it appears that the little girl was in the kitchen with her grandmother, mother and three year old sister when the dog entered the house from the garden.
"What happened next was truly horrific, as the dog picked up the child and attacked it in front of her family. Two workmen at a property nearby heard screaming and ran to the house to help. They were able to distract the animal, who dropped the baby from its jaws. One of them then pulled the child to safety before an ambulance was called."
The animal is currently being held by Sussex Police and will be destroyed in due course.
(Telegraph UK - April 19, 2010)