Heartbroken mum and dad of girl, 5, savaged by dog back Mirror's call for change
A “beautiful, amazing and bubbly” five-year-old girl had her left cheek bitten off when she was attacked by a pocket bully type dog outside a shop.
Little Farrah-Leigh Nichol is in hospital after suffering “substantial injuries” to her face. She’s already had a three-hour operation but will need at least two more skin graft operations to repair the damage.
Her mum and dad, Danielle Kemp and Alex Nichol, said they are backing the Mirror’s call for change. Danielle said she will be “haunted forever” by her daughter’s screams.
She said: “We are all traumatised by what we’ve seen and how much pain Farrah-Leigh is in. The Government needs to do something to stop another child suffering.”
Farrah-Leigh has already endured a three-hour operation on her face
She suffered serious injuries in the dog attackThis latest horror attack has left the mum of Jack Lis, who was killed by an XL Bully, “sickened”. Emma Whitfield has been fighting for change since her 10-year-old son was killed in a horror dog attack in Caerphilly.
Girl, 4, mauled to death in dog attack pictured as neighbours hear mum's screams
Emma told the Mirror of her frustration: “I feel like I’m repeating myself every time it happens. There is attack after attack and this time I’m not surprised it’s yet another version of the Bully .
“There just seems to be major issues around the Bully and all derivatives of it. Any dog can be dangerous but why are we always hearing of the same breed? They must act now. It’s sickening to hear these attacks and there’s a constant worry about when the next death is going to be.”
Her son Jack was killed by an eight-stone Bully named “Beast” in Caerphilly south Wales in 2021. The breed has been linked to nine deaths in the past two years.
Mum Emma Whitfield lost her son Jack in a dangerous dog attack (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Jack Lis was killed by a dangerous dog near his home (Emma Whitfield)The latest shocking incident happened at around 6pm on Saturday in Teesside. It is believed the “polite” youngster had asked permission before stroking the dog outside the Nisa store on Norton Road, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.
She had gone with her dad to the shop for bread and as they were waiting to cross the road to return home, she asked her dad; ‘Can I stroke that dog?’ The family claim she was given permission by the dog’s owner and she stroked him on the head and chest before he sank his teeth into her face.
Her father Alex, 30, kicked the dog away and scooped his daughter up running home with her. Alex, who owns three dogs himself, said: “We had gone to the shop together and she had paid for some bread at the till. We came out and I pressed the button to cross the road and she said, ‘Can I stroke that dog?’ “I said, ‘Yes, but you will have to ask the man first.’ She said, ‘Can I stroke your dog?’ And he said, ‘Yes, no problem.’
“She went to stroke the dog on the head. She loves dogs. She was stroking it really gently. The dog jumped and she jumped back and I thought, that was lucky. But then the next minute I saw her curled up on the floor and she said, ‘Dad’. She was crying and all her face was off. Her face was gone. It was just gruesome.”
Farrah-Leigh Nichol, before Saturday's shocking incident (North News & Pictures Ltd northnews.co.uk)Alex rushed over to his daughter who was still in dangerously close proximity to the animal. He added: “I ran across to get her but the dog was right behind her. I booted it. I stamped on it. I picked my daughter up and went back to the house. She was taken to hospital and she is stable and she has had stitches. But there’s still so much to do.”
Danielle, 32, said: “I was cooking tea when Alex came running in with Farrah-Leigh. What I saw and the screams I heard will haunt me, she really didn’t deserve this.”
It is understood the pocket bully, which is a cross between an American Pit Bull Terrier and a Patterdale Terrier, has now been destroyed. Her mum and dad now believe all breeds should be muzzled.
Dog shot dead by police after mauling girl, 4, to death in horror attack
Alex said: “We have three dogs ourselves. We have a Staffie and two XL Bullies. But I would be happy to muzzle them. If all dogs were muzzled it would just take away the risk. If it saved just one child it would be worth it. Always be wary of dogs you don’t know. My daughter loved dogs, but this incident has obviously given her a full fear factor. We’re all still in shock at the moment. We can’t believe this has happened.”
Furious dad Alex Nichol kicked the dog away from his young daughter (North News & Pictures northnews.co.uk)The owner of the dog, described locally as a “pocket bully” type, waited at the scene as emergency services arrived. Kirsty Lavender, a family friend, is helping raise funds to send the couple’s “princess” to Disney after her horrifying ordeal.
She told The Mirror: “She’s beautiful, funny, bubbly, polite, just an all-round amazing child. We are all hoping this doesn’t take her personality and confidence away. She’s such a brave, kind, strong little girl but she still needs a skin graft to reform her face. Her mam and dad are very worried about her of course but she’s bounced back really well so far. We have raised an appeal to send her to Disney when she’s fully recovered so that she has something special to look forward to.”
Kirsty, 32, also backs the Mirror’s campaign for change and says “something has to change!”
Cleveland Police said the child was taken to hospital for treatment and a dog had been seized. A force spokesman said the owner of the dog remained at the scene after the attack, adding: “Officers attended the scene within minutes of the report being called in and provided medical assistance to the girl whilst waiting for the ambulance. The owner of the dog remained at the scene following the attack and cooperated with police. The dog has been seized.”
Amy Hobson, 32, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, whose daughter Luna was four years old when she was mauled by an American Bulldog, is calling for action too. The mum had to save her daughter’s life by kicking and punching the dog away in April.
She said: “I want change, something needs to happen, it’s becoming a joke now, there’s that many children being bitten, attacked or even killed and no one is taking it seriously. It’s very sad. When are people going to start listening? How many children need to be killed before something is put in place: The law is failing right now.
“If they don’t ban them, they need to put licensing in place so these dogs aren’t mistreated. Also backyard breeders must be stopped This little girl’s facial injuries are exactly the same as Luna had. I’m sorry they are having to go through this because it’s the most horrific thing you will ever witness in your life. I still have nightmares every night about what happened.”
So far her daughter, who needed 40 stitches, has had two surgeries and is awaiting a third surgery.
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