Yahoo News Girl, 7, left scarred for life after being viciously mauled by 'child-friendly' Akita dog
Warning: This article contains graphic images
A seven-year-old girl was left scarred for life after being viciously mauled by an Akita dog.
Kiera Young had her lip ripped off after stroking the dog during an outing to the Whitham Tavern, in Boston, Lincolnshire, to celebrate her Grandmother’s sister’s birthday.
While they walked to the pub, Kiera spotted the animal outside and, after asking the owners’ permission, stroked the dog.
The youngster, who has autism, was petting the dog when it suddenly launched at her while grandmother Sharon, 57, watched in horror as the canine sank its fangs into the girl's face.
The family rushed Kiera to hospital where she underwent a three-hour operation to stitch her lip back together but doctors warned she will be permanently scarred.
Sharon, from Nottingham, said: ‘I walked to the pub with other family members, whilst Kiera went down in my sister's car.
‘She had approached a couple who were sitting outside the pub with their dog, a black-and-white Akita.
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‘They told her the dog was child friendly and had been told it was fine to stroke, so she petted it.
‘The couple went in and then came out again, and Kiera went back and again was told it was fine, but when she stroked it a second time, it attacked her face.
‘The owners pulled it back and that caused the gum to pull away from her lip.
‘I could hear her screaming from the other side of the river and just ran to her. My nephew and I rushed her to the Pilgrim Hospital in his car rather than wait for the ambulance.
‘She now backs off and keeps her distance when we see dogs in the street.
‘She seems to have been mentally scarred by the incident and we are doing our best to help her.”
Police were called following the attack on February 27 but have now told the family they are not pressing charges.
Sharon added: ‘The police asked if I wanted to press charges, and I said yes, but they came back to me last week and said they are not pressing charges because the dog has showed no form of aggression before.
‘How many times does it have to do something like this before you can do anything?
‘The dog could have easily gone for her throat.
‘How many times does this need to happen before the police do something?’
