Cardiff mum labels friend 'true hero' after dog attack

South Wales Argus

28-04-2025

Emily Drew, 19, said she thought she and her baby were going to die after they were attacked by three Staffordshire Bull Terriers on Mother's Day (March 30).
She sustained "significant" injuries from the attack, which have affected her daily life.
But it could have been a lot worse if not for her friend William Newbury, who stepped in to save her from the three dogs.
The "harrowing" dog attack
William, along with his partner Jamie-Lee, visited Emily at her Cardiff home on Mother's Day.
Upon arrival, the couple recalled hearing screaming and when they looked through the letterbox, they saw Emily and her six-day-old baby on the floor with the three dogs attacking them.
The door was locked, so William was forced to enter through a window.
He managed to get the dogs off Emily and her baby and help them escape out the window.
William told them to shut the window behind them to prevent the dogs from getting out, but it meant he was now trapped inside the house with them.
For the next 20 minutes, the young man had to try and fight off three "unrelenting" Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
They attacked him on his hands, arms, legs, stomach and jumped at his face and neck.
Three dogs attacked William Newbury's hands, arms, legs stomach and jumped at his face and neck. (Image: William Newbury / SWNS) William's girlfriend, Jamie-Lee, was forced to watch the harrowing event through the living room doors.
Eventually, Jamie-Lee was able to get inside and grab one of the dogs - and before it could attack her, the dogs' owners arrived.
William and Emily were both taken to Heath Hospital following the ordeal.
William, a security worker from Cardiff, was left with severe injuries across his body, multiple stitches and scars.
Doctors informed him he will be off work for around 14 weeks.
Cardiff mum labels friend "true hero" after saving her and baby from dog attack
Emily has now opened up about the harrowing ordeal and how she thought she was going to die.
Emily Drew has opened up about the dog attack and revealed she thought she was going to die. (Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS) She said: "One was constantly on my right foot, which has left me with my main injury.
"But the most important thing to me was protecting my baby.
"When William came, I had managed to put the baby in the pram, which was luckily by the window.
"I was out of it to be honest, William said half of my face had no colour, I was drained, my jaw had gone.
"After he got the baby out, that was when he pulled me over the baby gate and took my hoodie off, because one of the dogs was latched onto it.
"Honestly, I was in a lot of pain - but all that mattered to me was my child was ok.
"When they carried me out of the window, I managed to walk down the garden to the next door neighbour's garden, and I laid on their sofa until the paramedics turned up.''
Things to consider before adopting a pet
Emily added: "William is mine and my baby's true hero, I can't thank him enough.
"I thought I was going to die. It was all so scary. All I was able to care about was that the baby had gotten out alive.
"But honestly, I rather it had happened to me than anyone else.
"I had known the dogs for ages, but as I was trying to leave the house, they went for me."
Emily was in Heath Hospital, in a bed next to William, for 10 days.
She said: "I'm now just recovering and am going back and forth from the hospital. William and Jamie-Lee saved our lives.''
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After hearing Emily call him a hero, William said: "I'm just happy they are both OK.
"The baby would have been 100 per cent dead, and the mum would have followed after - I couldn't have let that happen."
A fundraising page has been set up to help William cover some of his lost earnings, medical fees and everything destroyed in the attack (including his phone).
South Wales Police are investigating the incident and no arrests have yet been made.