A seven year-old girl mauled by a Rottweiler was saved by her hoodie her parents say, after it stopped the dog from sinking its teeth into her throat.
The schoolgirl was left with a gaping wound in her cheek after the dog launched itself at her face outside her home in Dent Close, Worcester.
Graphic photos released by the family show the gaping bloody wound and the girl lying on a hospital trolley with her face bandaged up.
She was rushed to to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where she had the wound cleaned and stitched under general anaesthetic.
The owner of the Rottweiler James Palmer, 31, has pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog.
The terrified girl was holding an ice cream when the dog launched itself onto her and latched onto her cheek on 11 April last year, a court was told.
Her step-dad has claimed the black hoodie she was wearing when the attack occured helped save her by protecting her neck.
He said she was “lucky to be alive”.
The 35-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It was lucky - I feel the hoodie saved her life.
“If the dog had grabbed her neck, that would be it.”
Recounting the 2020 attack, the 7-year-old said Palmer had told her his dog was ‘friendly” and so she went closer and stroked him on the head.
“Then I saw he was looking at me and he looked like he wanted to attack me,” she added.
“He was looking me straight in the eye and looked like he was about to pounce. He jumped and bit.
“When his paws were on me I felt how strong he was. I felt the power.”
The schoolgirl said Palmer then attempted to pull the Rottweiler back and slapped the dog during the two-second attack.
She was left with a deep wound to the left hand side of her face, on her lower cheek near the jaw, exposing the tissue beneath.
She said: “I was shocked and scared. I didn’t feel the pain.
“Neighbours were looking and told me to get in and tell my mum.”
The girl’s 11-year-old brother also witnessed the incident unfold and rushed upstairs to alert their mum.
In spite of the attack, the girl still insists she loves animals, so much so that she hopes to become a vet.
Palmer’s sentencing was adjourned by magistrates last week until 24 June in order for the court to receive more information from a dog liaison officer, who has recommended the Rottweiler’s destruction.
But, regardless of the outcome, the family have said they do not want the dog living on their street as children often play on the grass outside.
The schoolgirl’s mother, 41, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Imagine if it was a person who tried to kill you and you had to carry on living next to them.
“I’m not really happy for him to have the dog back.
“She is just really lucky that the dog let go. I’m afraid the dog will attack other children.
“Whenever she sees a bit dog now she hangs on to our hands and gets very nervous. I’m afraid she will be like this forever now.
“But we know it could have been a lot worse. We just don’t want this dog to attack any more children.”
Prosecutor Shivali Patel told Worcester Magistrates’ Court the attack happened at 2pm and was witnessed by a woman sitting on her balcony.
She said Palmer told officers the victim had been stroking the animal when “the dog attempted to take the ice cream from the child, not bite the child”.
He said it was an accident and said he “took a long time to come to the door because he feared the dog would be put down”.
Mrs Patel said: “The victim is seven-years-old and has had to have extensive surgery for this injury.
“It is suspected she may need to have future surgery.”
