Seven-year-old Faye Warner was enjoying the sunshine with her mum, Chantelle Warner, and other children in a Little Hulton garden when another neighbor turned up with a Japanese Akita-type dog.
It attacked Faye on the cheek and lip at about 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
Miss Warner, of Wellstock Lane, said: “The dog wasn’t going mad — it was wagging its tail like it was happy so I didn’t know what had happened until she took her hand away from her mouth. Her lip was literally falling off.”
Peel Hall Primary School pupil Faye was treated at the Royal Bolton Hospital with butterfly stitches and antibiotics before being sent home.
But by Monday her face had ballooned so much her worried mum asked a friend to take her back to hospital while she cared for her two other children.
She was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, who sent her to see a consultant and plastic surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Miss Warner claims she was told her daughter, who is still being treated in hospital, was given the wrong antibiotics for her wound at the Royal Bolton — which hospital bosses deny.
The 29-year-old, who says she will be making a formal complaint to the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: “Poor Faye’s face is still pussing and weeping, she’s on IV antibiotics and she’s had to have surgery.
“She’s already seen a plastic surgeon who operated on her face to cleanse and seal the wound and she may need another because her lip wound won’t stay together.”
Royal Bolton Hospital chiefs said they would “look into” Faye’s treatment if her mother gets in touch.
Heather Edwards, Head of Communications at Bolton Royal Hospital said: “We are very sorry to hear that Faye has been ill since she left the Royal Bolton Hospital.
“We have reviewed the notes from the case and the treatment and antibiotics provided were entirely appropriate.”
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The attack comes just days before Jade Lomas Anderson’s parents will be going to Parliament with their petition about changing dangerous dog laws to make owners culpable from attacks on private property and Miss Warner says she backs the law change.
Jade, aged 14, was mauled to death by a pack of dogs while she was at a friend’s house in Atherton.
Miss Warner, an events organizer, said: “I back the petition by Jade’s parents 100 per cent. If I walked up to someone in a garden and bit them or killed them I’d be jailed. Obviously you can’t put a dog in prison but the owner should be held accountable.
“This hasn’t just affected Faye either, I’ve not slept a wink since it happened because of the stress and worry. Our whole life has been turned upside down.
“I’ve got two other kids who I’ve had to send to their grandparents so I can stay with Faye at the hospital and it’s costing me a fortune in taxis to get there and back.
“Faye has been so subdued and she’s usually so resilient. The inside of her mouth was torn open but they can’t stitch in there unfortunately. I just worry about the after-effects of this.
“My three-year-old saw the attack and he’s distraught because he saw her being bitten, and my two-year-old doesn’t understand why I’ve had to leave her and her brother at their grandparents and why Faye is still in hospital. It’s really upsetting me.
“I’ve got a little Jack Russell who is really soft, but I would never leave him with the kids on their own — it’s not worth the risk.”
MP for Bolton West Julie Hilling, who is campaigning with Michael and Shirley Anderson, said this latest attack proved dogs laws needed to be strengthened.
She added: “This is another tragic story that just goes to show you can’t trust any dog around children. It also demonstrates the need to continue to prevent dog attacks from happening in the first place.
“I’m continuing to fight for the laws to be strengthened so that owners are held responsible for the behaviour of their dog and making sure that children and others in the community are protected from dangerous dogs.”
Police confirmed the attack had taken place.
(Bolton News - July 12, 2013)
