Hero schoolboy, 11, suffers horrific facial injuries by distracting dog that was attacking his mother and baby brother

UNITED KINGDOM -- A young boy had a four centimeter hole bitten out of his face by a rampaging dog after he tried to save his mother and baby brother from being mauled.

Jack Mackay, 11, came to the rescue when the rampaging dog slipped its lead and went 'berserk' in a South London street where around 30 children were playing in their Easter school holiday.

The bull mastiff type dog was trying to jump at Jack's mother, Lucy Farlam, and his eight month old baby brother Jacob, when the owner, from Eltham, warned them not to 'scream or shout', because the dog would attack.

Desperate to get the crazed animal away from his family, Jack screamed at the dog to distract it.

Describing the horrific attack, Ms Farlam, 29, said: 'I was holding my eight-month-old baby Jacob and it was jumping up at me to get to him, biting at my side.

'I kicked the dog off of me to save my baby. His owner was shouting 'don't scream or shout because the dog doesn't like it'.

'So, to get the dog off me and my baby, Jack screamed so the dog charged at him instead. It had him on the floor and starting biting at his face and arm.'

Father Martin Mackay rushed to his son's aid, 'rugby tackling' the crazed animal which then charged at Ms Farlam and her child again, chasing her into a neighbour's hallway before it was finally brought under control.

Ms Farlam added: 'They were intense bites Jack had on him. It had bitten a hole into his face so the flesh was missing. 'The dog was trying to get his neck to kill him.

'I think he deserves an award for what he's done. He thought fast to get that dog away from my baby.'

After the attack on April 8, brave Jack was taken to the nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich.
He was later transferred to St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth, where he was eventually given plastic surgery along with stitches to his face and arm.

 

 

Ms Farlam said: 'Jack's doing really well actually. It's me that isn't. I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking what if he got my baby, I'd never see my son again.

'I nearly lost both of them. I wouldn't go near a dog now, no matter how little they are. I'd just like to say thanks to all my neighbors who helped out that day.'

The dog's owner eventually took the animal away. The police were not called and did not become involved in the incident.

(Daily Mail - Apr 17, 2014)