Glasgow 6-year-old scarred for life after savage attack by bulldogs in garden

The Glasgow mum of a six-year-old who was left scarred for life after she was bitten by two English bulldogs has hit out at new laws for “failing to protect kids”.

Ruby Kelly had been out in her garden in Tollcross when she decided that she wanted to play with a child next door.

After being lifted over the fence two dogs came sprinting out of a house and bit her feet and legs, reports the Daily Record.

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Mum Jacqueline said: My husband and I were away for the night, so my kids were being looked after by our family.

“Ruby and my niece were out playing in the front garden and she must have wanted to go next door to play so she was lifted over the fence.

“As she was moved over, one of the dogs charged over and latched onto her leg. Seconds later, the other dog came running out and grabbed onto her foot.

“My sister-in-law could hear Ruby and my niece frantically screaming from the window, so she ran outside to see all of this unfolding on our doorstep.”

The 39-year-old stated that the adults who saw the attack repeatedly punched and kicked the two animals in a desperate attempt to get them to release their grip on Ruby.

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The vicious ordeal lasted for around five minutes before the pair let go.

Jacqueline continued: “It took somebody to chuck a bucket of cold water over them for them to finally stop. When they finally managed to get the dogs off of her, Ruby had a gaping wound on her leg that was gushing in blood.”

The six-year-old was rushed to A&E at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary before being kept overnight in the Royal Hospital for Children. As the mum arrived to see her daughter she was horrified to find flesh on her daughter’s leg “hanging inside out”.

She explained: “It was horrific. There were two bad bites on her thigh and calf.

“You could see several puncture marks on her thigh while tissue on the inside of her leg was hanging inside out.

“I knew she was going to be okay, but it was every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Medics performed a short surgery to remove the dead skin from Ruby’s thigh and to mend her wound with stitches after the attack in September last year.

Police confirmed two people have been the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with the attack.

In the meantime, Jacqueline is calling for laws aimed at restricting XL bullies to be expanded to include other bulldog breeds.

The mum-of-two said: “Why is the law not protecting children? If a human had done that to another human, they’d have been taken by the police and likely put in jail.

“There needs to be an overhaul of the Dangerous Dog Act because right now, it is failing to protect kids. My daughter was badly attacked and put in hospital.

“Yet, they are still allowed to roam free in the garden and are being walked around without muzzles. Every day my daughter is reliving her trauma when she is faced by these beasts.

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“Will it take for a child to die before they are put to sleep? I’m terrified in case another kid is hurt or even killed.

“I couldn’t live with my conscience if that happened, so that is why I am speaking out.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Two people are the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with the incident."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "“This is a highly distressing incident that illustrates the importance of responsible dog ownership including effective enforcement by local authorities and Police Scotland of relevant laws.

"Scotland has a dog control notice regime that is unique in the UK and focussed on preventing dog attacks from happening in the first place. We will always consider carefully any evidence based suggestions to help improve safety for people including keeping the control of dogs legislation under review."