Man wrestles dog off his daughter

BY LEIGHTON KEITH

Little Ivy-Lee Broughton is lucky not to have lost an eye in a vicious dog attack in Hawera.

The three-year-old's father, Aaron, saved her from more serious injuries when he jumped in and grabbed the dog.

"I heard it growl and turned around and it was biting her," Mr Broughton said.

"The first thing I did was grab the dog and hit it in the throat a couple of times and throw it across the road."

Mr Broughton then looked down and saw Ivy-Lee bleeding from her face.

"I was just horrified."

The dog, described as a "scungy looking" black mastiff or staffy cross, with a white chest and back paws, was still on the loose last night.

The drama unfolded in Buchanan Pl about 11am on Saturday.

Ivy-Lee and her dad were at a friend's house a few doors down from their home when the dog, which was not wearing a collar, came on to the property.

Ivy-Lee's face was torn in the savage attack – the dog's teeth ripped through her nose right down through her lip, tore open her forehead, punctured her eyelids and opened other wounds in her face.

"No kid should have to go through that," Mr Broughton said. "Your heart goes out to people who you hear about in the paper, now I know how they feel.

"I'm just glad it wasn't any worse."

Mr Broughton was blaming himself for not protecting his daughter.

"I feel as if it is my fault, I should have been closer to her."

He thinks the dog was eating biscuits on the lawn and warned other people never to feed their animals when young children are around.

Ivy-Lee was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital where she spent more than two hours in surgery.

Mr Broughton said he did not blame the dog.

"Any dog is a beautiful dog if they are brought up right," he said.

Ivy-Lee was back at home yesterday and although her stitched-up, bruised and swollen face was testament to her ordeal, she was bearing up well.

"I think we cried more than she did," Mr Broughton said.

He was confident Ivy-Lee would soon be back to her happy, bubbly self.

"Everyone loves Ivy, she just rubs off on people."

Police and a South Taranaki District Council animal control officer were called after the girl was attacked.

Council spokesman Gerard Langford said the parents of the girl would be interviewed today.

Mr Langford said the dog had taken off and had not been found.

"It was described as a black scungy looking thing, possibly a staff-lab cross," he said.

Animal control officers were patrolling the streets looking for the dog.

"If it is found and able to be identified we would be seeking its destruction," Mr Langford said.

Sergeant Kim Severinsen said police were also keeping an eye out for the dog, which was believed to be roaming loose.

Mr Severinsen said anyone who recognised the description of the dog or saw it should contact the council or police.

- © Fairfax NZ News