The six-year-old was left with deep bite wounds and had to have emergency surgery after the American Bulldog escaped through a gate.
The animal locked its jaws into the child’s right leg until the victim’s mother was able to prise the dog off.
The victim, who cannot be identified, was confined to a wheelchair for two weeks, has been left with 59 scars and is now terrified of dogs.
The dog was owned by Kayleigh Nimmo, of Llanwrst Close in Dingle , who admitted being in charge of a dangerous dog.
“The child was wetting the bed and is now terrified of dogs and has nightmares. The family only went out twice over Christmas and both times by taxi, so they wouldn’t see any dogs.
“This will stay with the child forever, and not just the scars. They are now seeing a child psychologist and have post traumatic stress disorder.
“Everyone who sees the photos says it looks like they were attacked by a shark.”
Liverpool crown court heard the youngster was also left with puncture wounds and bruising and swelling to the legs following the attack.
Prosecutor Frank Dillon told the court that the young child’s seventh birthday was “ruined“ by being restricted to a wheelchair.
In a victim impact statement read to the court the child said: “Since the incident I have found it hard to go out into public.
“I have not entered a park since the attack because I am scared of seeing other dogs.
“I thought during the attack I was going to die. I have also been wetting the bed and having nightmares about the assault.
“Every time I get dressed I do not look at my legs because it reminds me about the assault.”
The court heard there had been another incident when Tyson bit someone in Nimmo’s home just two weeks before the child was attacked.
Andrew Blennerhaccett, defending, said the dog had never behaved in a way that caused Nimmo to believe he caused a risk to members of the public.
He said Tyson had been a “placid and affectionate family pet.”
But Judge David Aubrey QC asked: “Why was the dog called Tyson? I assume he was called Tyson after the boxer Mike Tyson.
“I would like to know why an affectionate, placid dog was called Tyson. Let’s get real for a moment.”
He added: “This court can not and does not accept that he was innocently named Tyson by you.
He said Tyson was “dangerously out of control“ on the day of the incident, and said: “This court has no doubt whatsoever in finding that the dog in question is firstly unpredictable and in truth dangerous.“
Nimmo, 32, was given a ten month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was disqualified from owning another dog for five years and ordered to pay compensation of £1500.
A destruction order was also placed on the dog by the court.
(Liverpool Echo - Jan 7, 2017)
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