Nearly 130 children have needed emergency hospital treatment in Leicestershire because of dog attacks in the past year.
Some of the victims were as young as one year old – and a number of the bites were life-threatening. One child a month has needed plastic surgery after being bitten on the face, and half of all the attacks involved family pets. The figures were revealed after 18-month-old Zumer Ahmed was killed in April by a family dog – believed to be an American bulldog – at her home in Sussex.
It was a stark reminder of the tragic 2006 death of five-month-old Cadey-Lee Deacon, who suffered fatal bites in a rottweiler attack at her home in New Parks, Leicester. Since then, more than 400 children have been treated for dog bites at Leicester Royal Infirmary’s accident and emergency unit.
Campaigners say changes to the law on dangerous dogs are urgently needed.
Be the first to comment