A four-year-old girl's life was 'changed forever' after a terrifying dog attack in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Luna-Ann Forsyth was left covered in blood after being bitten in the face and pulled to the ground by an American bulldog named Junior, a court heard.
On March 12, the dog's owner, Emma Callaghan, was sentenced after being found guilty of being the owner in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. The court heard that Junior had escaped from a locked room and jumped on the little girl, who was visiting with her mother, Amy Hobson, and her younger brother.
Judge Matthew Walsh KC described the attack as 'unprovoked, sudden, terrifying and vicious', saying the dog 'mauled' Luna-Ann. The child suffered a large gash on her cheek and puncture wounds, requiring two surgeries so far, with a third planned. Her mother said the attack left her daughter 'severely disfigured' and traumatised, causing nightmares and a fear of dogs.
In a victim impact statement, Ms Hobson said the family had to move away from Nuneaton and that Luna-Ann struggles with sleep and anxiety about starting school. The mother has been diagnosed with PTSD. Callaghan's sentencing concluded the case, with the judge noting the attack had 'changed a four-year-old girl's life'.
