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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.