8 hours ago
Hero aunt, 32, is left with gaping wounds after using herself as a 'human blanket' to save her four-year-old niece's life when dog launched at them
A brave aunt has been left with broken bones and gaping wounds after using herself as a 'human blanket' to protect her niece from a vicious dog attack.
Abbie Nudd, 32, of Willow Way, Dovercourt, had taken Lydia, four, to meet an American Bulldog that her neighbours were looking after on Tuesday, June 2.
But after the initial pleasantries where the dog had been sitting nicely and allowing Ms Nudd and Lydia to stroke it, the canine's mood quickly changed and its demeanor shifted.
Sensing the danger, Ms Nudd asked Lydia to step back from the animal - but it had already locked the the four-year-old's right arm in its mouth.
'Somehow, I managed to prise the dog's mouth open and get her arm out of the dog's mouth', Ms Nudd told Echo News.
She then 'leapt' on top of Lydia to protect her while the neighbours tried in vain to control the situation by prodding the dog with a washing pole.
Such attempts proved futile, and Ms Nudd said she eventually 'decided to give up' and allowed the dog to bite her so that it would not go for her niece again.
It was an act of bravery that left her with bite marks to the face, both arms and torso before it chewed through her wrist bone - breaking it in the process.
The dog had been sitting nicely and allowing Ms Nudd (above) and Lydia to stroke it, but the canine's mood quickly changed and its demeanor shifted - the attack left Ms Nudd with bite marks to the face, both arms and torso before it chewed through her wrist bone
'I felt like I was being ragged around the garden, I did an elbow drop a few times on the dog to try and get it off me', she added.
When police and medics arrived at the scene, Ms Nudd said the dog was still behaving aggressively and was calmed down by a man known to it before being taken away in a police car.
Ms Nudd and Lydia were taken to Colchester Hospital before being transferred to Broomfield Hospital, where they were given general anaesthetic and had their wounds treated.
Lydia was discharged the following day and is back with her parents, while Ms Nudd remained in hospital until yesterday so that her fracture and wounds could be monitored.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: 'A woman was arrested as part of our response to an incident involving a dog in Harwich in which a young child and a woman sustained injuries.
'We were alerted to the incident, in Willow Way, at 4.30pm on Tuesday June 3.
'All emergency services attended the scene and found a woman and a young child who had sustained serious injuries which required hospital treatment.
'A woman, aged in her 30s, from Harwich, was arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control.
'She has since been released under investigation while enquiries continue. The dog was seized and has been taken to secure kennels.
'Our investigation will now progress appropriately, and we would ask people not to speculate around the nature of the incident.'
