United Kingdom: Woman arrested after ‘out of control’ dog bites 11 children

UNITED KINGDOM -- Police have arrested a 37-year-old woman after a Staffordshire bull terrier bit 11 children in a park.

The dog attacked children playing in Burns Avenue, Blyth, Northumberland, on Wednesday evening, Northumbria Police said.

The terrier was caught and taken to secure kennels while attempts were made to find the owner.

A force spokesman said the woman was arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control.

Fiona Richards, 33, who lives opposite the park, said her husband Brett helped restrain the dog after her daughter had run into the house screaming she had been bitten.

“We were indoors and she came screaming through the door saying that she had been bitten,” she said.

“She said the dog was still biting people, so we told her to stay at the door and we ran over. My husband went straight in and there was already a dad in there trying to lift the kids out of harm’s way.

“The dog was running around super-fast biting every kid in there, I saw it grab a little one by the shoulder.”

Eventually her husband helped back the dog into a corner and they used their own dog lead to tie it to the railings.

She said her daughter Isabel, 11, suffered puncture wounds to her thigh and was given antibiotics after being seen in hospital.

“It was so scary as the dog was contained within the park, so it had nowhere to go,” she said. “One of Isabel’s friends is still in hospital and is going in for surgery.”

Sheryl Allison added: “It was like a terrorist attack. There were injured kids lying all over the place, it was a war zone - none of mine got bitten thankfully.

“When the dog got in kids were trying to save kids, every time they tried to help they were getting bitten. The dog was completely out of control. The whole street has been traumatized by this, nothing like this has ever happened before.”

 

Nine children were treated in hospital with bite injuries. Six were driven to hospital in Cramlington by relatives while three were taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, by the North East Ambulance Service.

None was thought to be seriously injured though three were kept in overnight.

(Scotsman.com - May 19, 2016)