Dog drags girl, 7, down the street by her head, leaving her with horrific eye and face injuries

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:37 PM on 13th August 2010

A girl of seven has been left with appalling facial and eye injuries after being mauled by a dog while playing out just yards from her home.

Maleeka Smyth was dragged along the street by the Staffordshire bull terrier, which tore skin close to her eye and caused two puncture wounds to the back of her head.

Last night the youngster had plastic surgery to repair damage to her face.

Seven-year-old Maleeka Smyth was 'lucky' not to lose her right eye in the ferocious attack

Doctors told her distraught mother that her daughter would be scarred for life following the terrifying attack in Great Lever, near Bolton.

They also revealed that a muscle in the eye had been torn by the attack.

Mother Vicki, who herself owns three dogs, said: 'The dog should be put down. If it was one of my dogs I would take it straight to the vets.

'Maleeka has been very lucky. It could have been a lot, lot worse. She could have lost an eye.'

She was playing with a friend close to her home on Wednesday at 6pm.

The dog had escaped from a nearby house and barked at Maleeka.

Her mother said that the dog then jumped at her, grabbed her head and dragged her along the street, shaking its own head.

The animal eventually stopped its attack and ran back to its owner's house.

Maleeka was then taken back to her house by her friend.

Surgeons at the Royal Bolton Hospital were working on the youngster's eye yesterday morning.

They told her mother that her tear duct had been damaged and she will have to have a tube strapped to her eye for the next six months.

A muscle at the back of her eye socket has also been torn. Maleeka required a general anaesthetic for the operation.

Miss Smyth, 32, called police following the incident. She added: 'Maleeka has been very brave but she has already said she doesn't want to play out ever again.

'My other children were traumatised. There was blood everywhere.'

A police spokesman said: 'Officers attended and found the girl had sustained a cut and puncture wounds to the back of her head and a torn right eyelid. Pet Medics attended and seized the dog.

'The owner of the dog has been made aware and has indicated they support having the dog put to sleep.'

A hospital spokesman said Maleeka was stable following the surgery. The family which owned the dog last night said they were too upset about the incident to talk.

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1302747/Girl-left-horrific-eye-facial-injuries-dog-drags-street-head.html