Girl, 3, savaged by dog in horror attack was 'playing happily with a hula-hoop'

03 September 2023 , 07:35

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The child had been playing with a hula hoop shortly before the dog attack (Image: Liverpool Echo)

A three-year-old girl was said to be happily playing with a hula-hoop outside at a pub before she was savagely mauled by a dog.

The youngster had been playing outside the Market Tavern, in Kirby, Merseyside, yesterday afternoon when the shocking incident unfolded. Just after 3.15pm the police received reports that the girl had been bitten in the face by a dog.

She was rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for treatment where her injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening. A number of locals, out enjoying the afternoon sun, witnessed the horror attack and a man has since been arrested and the dog seized.

Police outside the pub after the dog attack

Outside the Market Tavern, the Liverpool ECHO spoke to someone who had witnessed the attack. The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she had seen the girl earlier in the day dressed in “pretty pink” and playing happily outside the pub with a hula-hoop.

The woman claimed the girl "stroked the bigger dog once, then stroked it again", at which point it attacked her. The pubgoer said she was horrified when she heard the “scream of the baby”.

Girl, 4, mauled to death in dog attack pictured as neighbours hear mum's screams

A spokesperson for the Market Tavern said: "We have CCTV which covers the area and we are working with the police. We ask all dog owners to act responsible in public areas, especially around children. Our thoughts are with the little girl at this time, we hope she is okay. All our staff are absolutely devastated as to what happened outside."

Officers attended and seized the dog, which will be examined to determine the breed and then humanely destroyed. Merseyside Police said a number of witnesses have been spoken to and enquiries are ongoing. The force is now appealing for further witnesses to come forward and for anyone with footage that may assist enquiries to contact police. A 31-year-old man from Ormskirk has been arrested on suspicion of affray and having a dog dangerously out of control in a public place. He has been taken into custody to be questioned.

Chief Inspector Jim Wilde said: "This was a horrific attack which has left a young girl receiving hospital treatment for significant injuries to her face. I want to reassure people that she is currently receiving the best possible care and treatment for her injuries at Alder Hey, and we hope she makes a speedy recovery.

"We seized the dog at the scene, which will now be humanely destroyed, and extensive efforts are now underway to establish exactly what happened. I want to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, who may have information which could help us with our investigation to come forward as soon as possible. You may even live locally and have CCTV, or have been passing in a vehicle and captured dashcam footage – if so, we want to hear from you.

"This case highlights in the starkest terms the potential dangers of dogs, and I would appeal to anyone with information about dangerous dogs in their area to contact us so that we can take pro-active action."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 23000831583 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.

Jamie Greer