Six-year-old Demi Baines was walking to her home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, with mother Karen Baines when she was mauled by the Staffordshire bull terrier.
Ms Baines described how the dog launched at her daughter and attached itself to her face – leaving the little girl with horrifying facial injuries which included a severed lip.
Demi was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary, where plastic surgeons have worked to reconstruct her mouth in two separate operations.
Mother-of-three Ms Baines, 36, said: 'I feared for Demi’s life – I thought she could have been killed.
'It was the most scary, terrible thing I have ever experienced.
'Demi’s injuries were horrific. They were something you wouldn’t even see in a horror movie. Her bottom lip was hanging off and the left hand side of her top lip was near enough gone.'
Ms Baines added that Demi also had a chunk taken out of her arm and an injury to her back. The youngster is set to undergo another operation on her face later this week.
Call centre worker Ms Baines said: 'Demi has been so brave. She has been absolutely amazing.
'She hasn’t moaned about it at all but she’s wary of the neighbours’ dogs now.'
The shocking incident happened in Gair Street, Flowery Field, on Christmas Day shortly after 6pm as Karen and Demi walked to their home on Well Meadow from a family party nearby.
Ms Baines said the dog appeared from a field and, although appeared friendly at first, launched the attack without provocation.
She claimed the dog’s owner also assaulted her as she tried to pull the animal off her daughter during the chaotic incident, which police are now investigating.
A 70-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place and bailed until February.
The Staffordshire bull terrier has been seized by police under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
A police spokesman said: 'Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident.'
(Daily Mail - Jan 2, 2014)
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