Girl, 9, has lip torn off by dog

9:09am Tuesday 28th September 2010

A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl had her top lip bitten off when she was mauled by a dog which flew into a rage after hearing barks from a computer game.

Little Megan Walker was dragged off a sofa by a Bull Mastiff named Saracen while she was playing on the Nintendogs game while staying at a friend’s house in Westland Avenue, Farnworth.

The dog then went for Megan’s face, biting her in several places and tearing off her top lip.

Megan was taken by ambulance to Manchester Children’s Hospital where doctors managed to re-attach the lip after it was rushed to the hospital by police officers who had put it on ice.

Saracen, a Bull Mastiff and Boxer cross breed, has since been put down after its owner, Deborah Melville, signed the dog over to police for destruction.

Megan was in the care of her grandmother, Jean Taylor, while her mother, Leanne Walker, aged 34, was on holiday in Jamaica for her birthday.

Mrs Taylor, aged 58, had allowed her granddaughter to stay at Ms Melville’s house, as she is friends with her daughters.

Megan had woken up and was switching on the game at 10am on Sunday, September 19, while Saracen was asleep on a mattress in the living room.

Megan, a St James’ Primary School pupil, said: “When I woke up I turned on the Nintendo. It barked and Saracen dragged me off the couch by my foot. I was scared.”

When she realised Megan was being attacked, Ms Melville started kicking him and her second pet dog, Zena, also attacked Saracen in a bid to save the child, it is claimed.

Mrs Taylor, of Greenhill Avenue, said one of Ms Melville’s daughters ran to get her as she lives nearby, and then she and Megan’s 14-year-old sister, Sophie, ran to help.

Mrs Taylor said: “When I saw her, I was hysterical.

She just had a dirty rag over her face. I just said ‘where’s her lip?’ It was the worst thing I have ever seen.

“The police went in the house and found the lip and brought it up to the hospital on ice.”

Megan was in surgery for two hours and spent five days in hospital. It is hoped that her lip will heal, although doctors will have a better idea when they take her bandage off tomorrow.

Mrs Taylor said: “Hopefully the surgery has worked or she could have to have more plastic surgery down the line. She’s been so brave.

She didn’t cry once.”

She said that her daughter, who is still on holiday, knew about the incident but didn’t realise how bad it had been.

Insp Phil Spurgeon said: “The dog in question was not a banned breed and the incident happened in a private address, not in public. The owner signed the dog over for destruction and it has now been put down by a vet.”

Ms Melville was unavailable for comment, but it is understood that she told police that Megan may have kicked Saracen and that is why he attacked her.

From: http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/8417624.Girl__9__has_lip_torn_off_by_dog/