Friday, August 21, 2015

Families in dog bite fear after third attack in just three weeks

UNITED KINGDOM -- BURY has been rocked by a trio of horrific dog attacks in under three weeks.

In the latest incident, a mixed-breed dog mauled two young sisters near their Radcliffe home at 5.15pm on Sunday, leaving them with severe wounds.

Just five days earlier, a Doberman-type dog pounced on a man in Limefield and he has had to undergo facial surgery in hospital.

  

Now, Louise Chadwick, the mother of another dog-bite victim has urged people to keep their dogs under control.

She added: "I don't want my children going out in the street at the minute, and I know a lot of other parents will say the same."

Police are investigating all three incidents, but have decided not to take action in one of the cases due to the unusual sequence of events.

Sisters Caitlin and Megan Costello, aged 12 and 13, were attacked by the dog, which was running from burglars who had broken into its owner's house. The tan-coloured, mixed-breed dog first bit Megan on both legs and then went for her younger sister as neighbours came to their aid.

Both girls were taken to hospital and needed stitches in their legs.

Wendy Costello, the girls' mother, said: "Caitlin and Megan saw the dog was out in the street and had wanted to lead it back to its house. Megan came home screaming and her legs were pouring with blood, then it went for Caitlin and one of our neighbours came out to get it off her.

"It was lucky someone came to help, otherwise she would have had much more serious injuries. Everyone was in such a panic trying to stop the blood."

She added: "We have got a dog and the girls have been asking me to get rid of it because they are scared, even though he hasn't done anything wrong. We have to go and see the district nurse on Friday to get their injuries checked, then we will know more, but the girls aren't in a good way at all.

"The scary thing for them is that this happened two seconds away from our house. I can see why people, especially children, don't feel safe in Radcliffe with these sort of things happening."

The six-year-old dog, named TJ, had been let out of a house in Cooperative Street during the burglary.

John Meakin was left with a mauled face
after stepping in to save his Shih Tzu Boo

The dog's owner, mum-of-four Joanne Mullany, said: "We had been burgled at about 5pm, and they have come in through the back door and thrown the dog out. I had gone out for half an hour and when I got back I saw everyone out in the street and the paramedics there.

"TJ had obviously been really distressed by the burglars coming in and that's why this has happened. We have had him for six years and nothing like this has ever happened before. I'm very sorry about what has happened to those girls and I apologised to their mother when I saw her. My kids are distraught too, they have been crying their eyes out."

A police spokesman said: "Due to the circumstances of this incident being beyond the owner's control and in line with a recent stated case, the dog's owner has been given strict police advice but no further action will be taken on this occasion."

At 9pm on August 11, John Meakin was walking his dog on Seedfield Sports Centre field, off Parkinson Street, Limefield, when another dog started attacking his pet.

The dog then jumped up at Mr Meakin and bit him on his hands and face before running off.
Shocked witnesses called 999 and Mr Meakin was taken to hospital.

The victim's daughter, Jennifer Meakin, said: "My dad has had to have surgery on his face now and I don't want this happening to another person or even a child. We think is a Doberman kind of breed. There was a little girl believed to be about 12 years old walking the tan-coloured dog."

She asked for anyone who knows the dog or its owner to report it and police, who said the dog did not have a lead or collar, asked anyone with information to call 101.

The vicious attacks came less than two weeks after 10-year-old Luke Chadwick was left with deep bite wounds following a dog attack on the King George V field, off Outwood Road, Radcliffe.
Mrs Chadwick echoed fears about the risk from dangerous dogs in the area.

She said: "It's awful that this has happened again to these girls. Something needs to be done about this situation, to find these dangerous dogs and keep them from causing any more harm. We can't just sit and wait for the next attack. It's disgusting that this is allowed to happen."

(Bury Times - Aug 19, 2015)

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