10 hours ago
Girl, three, has arm ripped open by cockapoo as her father is forced to 'hold her skin together' after attack outside primary school
A girl, three, has had her arm ripped open by a cockapoo, with her father forced to 'hold her skin together' after the attack outside a primary school.
Bunnie was walking home with her father Rowen Skinley and two siblings in Rainham, Kent, on Tuesday when the designer dog attacked outside Miers Court Primary School.
She had to be rushed to hospital in London for emergency plastic surgery after the Cocker Spaniel and Poodle crossbreed brutally mauled her unprovoked.
The owner of the small, sandy-coloured pooch 'just disappeared', leaving no details, after pulling the dog off the toddler and tearing her skin in doing so, Mr Skinley said.
The father explained: 'I was so shocked. All I had to stop the bleeding was my hands. I had to basically hold her skin together.'
Thankfully, he continued: 'She's doing well now. She's just a bit shaken and keeps talking about how scared she is of the dog...
'It's really upsetting that the woman didn't stop because it makes you fear for the safety of other kids.'
A Kent Police spokesperson confirmed an investigation is ongoing.
Cockapoos have often been touted as family-friendly bundles of cuteness - playful, warm, curly-haired teddy bears, who are easy to manage and train.
But Mr Skinley had a rather different experience with the popular breed: 'It happened parallel to the school on the main road. I was just walking home after the school run.
'The path is quite narrow and a woman was walking her dog on the actual road itself.
'Then, out of nowhere, the dog just lunged for my daughter and pulled her to the floor.'
Bystanders rushed over to help: 'People who saw what happened came over and said that my daughter hadn't even put her hand out to the dog.'
Bunnie was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital in nearby Gillingham before being transferred to St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster, London, the next morning.
There, she had several X-rays to ensure the puncture had not hit her bone, before undergoing the reconstructive surgery.
Mr Skinley explained: 'She also has a lung condition and really bad asthma so she had to be marked down as a high-risk category for sedation.'
The girl will have to return to hospital within a week for a check-up, to assess if she needs even more surgery.
Anyone with information that could assist officers' inquiries, including CCTV or doorbell footage, should contact police on 01634 792209, quoting 46/102876/25.
It comes after MailOnline revealed at the end of last year that at least 16 dangerous dogs are seized every day in the UK.
Just under 6,000 dangerous dogs were seized by 27 forces from November 2023 until the same month the following year, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request found - meaning 114 dogs are taken every week.
Of the forces which responded to the FOI, Greater Manchester had the highest figures, with 19 dogs seized a week.
It took 1,000 in a year and put 337 of the animals to sleep.
Second highest is the West Midlands force with 17 dogs, followed by Northumbria with nine.
West Yorkshire seized eight a week, while Leicestershire said it seized six.
Experts have now warned that banning dangerous dogs in order to keep the public safe has 'critical flaws' and the focus should be on making owners more responsible instead.
A spokesperson at which obtained the data, said: 'The Dangerous Dogs Act has been in effect for over three decades and yet, hospital admissions due to dog bites continue to rise.'
They added that instead of focusing on breed, the emphasis should be on 'addressing the root causes of dog aggression' instead.
