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Children
attacked by Dobermann
A
TEN-year-old girl sustained serious injuries to her arm recently
when a millionaire’s Dobermann savaged her and her younger
brother as they played with their pet terrier.
The Dobermann ran from a garden on a private estate and set
upon the Scottish Terrier belonging to India Chauhan and her
brother Declan, seven. As they tried to pull the dogs apart,
the Dobermann turned its attack on them and both suffered major
injuries.
A passing woman motorist stopped, beat the dog back with her
umbrella, grabbed the children and pushed them into her car.
By then the dog had bitten through the girl’s arm below
her left elbow. Her brother was bitten on both arms and thighs.
Surgery
They
were taken from the estate, in Sunningdale, Berks, to a local
hospital and then transferred to a specialist unit at the
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, where they underwent
surgery. It was feared that India may have to have the lower
part of her arm amputated. She was in a stable condition late
last week, awaiting further surgery. Both children will need
plastic surgery to repair the damage inflicted by the dog.
The dog has been destroyed by the RSPCA. Police traced it
to a £2.5 million house, where its millionaire Italian
owners were questioned. Neighbours said the animal, kept as
a guard dog, was regularly walked by its owners and was usually
docile and well behaved. A sign on the gate of their property
reads: “Beware of the dog.”
The driver who intervened, Julie Goldie, 40, from Chobham,
Surrey, said: “I beeped my horn to try to scare it off
but it didn’t work,. I pulled an umbrella from the car
and started hitting the dog with it. I got the children into
my car and drove to my friend’s house where an ambulance
was called.”
Mrs Goldie initially took the children to the home of Brian
and Sarah Angers, “The boy wasn’t crying and I was
amazed how brave he was being and presumed that his injuries
weren’t too bad,” said Mr Angers.
“When I lifted up one leg of his shorts I could see a
massive chunk had been bitten right out of the back of his
right leg. There were also several bite marks on his legs
and arms and blood was everywhere. His shorts were ripped
to shreds. The lad must have been in terrible pain and shock.
The little girl had a really bad wound to her arm. It looked
like the dog had bitten right through it.”
Neighbours and police praised the swift action of Mrs Goldie.
“She stepped in when many men wouldn’t have,”
said Mr Angers. “If it was not for her, then we could
be dealing with an even more serious situation.”
A police spokesman said an investigation had been launched
but it was too early to say if the dog’s owners would
be prosecuted. “The owner is mortified about what has
happened.” he said.
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