Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alahna Kindred

Nine-month-old baby left seriously injured in hospital after dog attack mauling horror

A nine-month-old baby was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after it was mauled by a dog.

Emergency services raced to an address in Aldingbourne, Chichester, West Sussex yesterday afternoon.

The baby's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Police confirmed they seized the dog and have launched an investigation into what happened.

A Sussex Police spokesperson told the Mirror: "Emergency services responded to a report of a nine-month-old baby attacked by a dog inside a private address in Lime Avenue, Aldingbourne, at about 2pm on Thursday, May 18.

"The baby suffered serious injuries, not believed to be life-threatening, and was taken to hospital.

The baby is not believed to be in a life-threatening condition (Getty Images)

"Officers have seized the dog, and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway."

It comes a week after a six-year-old boy was mauled by a dog that was bought on Facebook two weeks earlier.

Vick Zidko screamed in terror as he was viciously scratched and bitten on his head and back.

His sister said a memory that is haunting her is her little brother “pleading with the dog to stop”.

The boy’s family saved his life by opening the American Staffordshire terrier’s clamped jaws.

Little Vick spent five days in hospital where medics battled to reattach the torn-off piece of scalp.

The breed of the dog is not known at this stage, but the Mirror is campaigning to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act after too many Brits were attacked and in some cases killed in vicious dog attacks.

We are calling for the Act widen the list of banned breeds to make it illegal to own, breed or sell other dangerous types, bring in a new law requiring owners to register certain breeds that could be dangerous, and anyone wanting to own a potentially dangerous breed should attend a training course and the dog’s behaviour should be assessed.In October, surgeons warned that the under-fives are most at risk of death and serious injury from dog bites.

Three-year-olds are the most commonly bitten and 50% of all attacked children seen by doctors at one hospital were aged five or younger.

Surgeons at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool say two-thirds are attacked on the face or neck as they are usually level in height with a dog’s mouth.

Christian Duncan, consultant plastic surgeon at Alder Hey, said: “We are a dog-loving nation, but there is something we need to recognise about what they are like and balance that against the fact that there is no such thing as a safe dog.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.