A mother has described the terrifying moment she thought her five-year-old son would die after being mauled by an off-lead dog in their local park.
Horror Attack in Doncaster Park
Joanne Godfrey, 28, was walking with her son Roman near their Doncaster home last Thursday when the incident occurred. The dog, believed to be a bull breed, was neither muzzled nor on a lead when it suddenly charged at the young boy.
"I thought he was going to die," Joanne recalled. "The dog's stance changed as soon as it saw Roman. It did this growl bark and I knew it wasn't good."
Despite her shouting at Roman not to run, the dog attacked instantly, dragging the child to the ground and sinking its teeth into his face. The animal ended up on top of Roman, causing significant injuries to his eye, ears and cheeks.
Emergency Response and Surgery
Joanne managed to pull her son from beneath the dog by his legs, discovering he was covered in blood. Roman was screaming "I'm going to die" repeatedly as his mother rushed him to hospital.
The five-year-old required surgery on his ear following the vicious attack. When Roman saw his injuries afterwards, he told his mother "Mummy I look scary," to which Joanne responded by reassuring him he remained beautiful.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed a 29-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control and released on bail. The dog involved remains in police kennels.
Calls for Responsible Dog Ownership
Joanne, a mother of three, is now calling for all dog owners to keep their pets on leads in public spaces, particularly where children are present.
"It doesn't matter how soft you think your animal is," she emphasised. "It doesn't matter how playful and how friendly they are, keep your dog on a lead, especially in a place like this where there are kids."
She stated unequivocally that the entire incident "could have been avoided 1000 per cent" with proper dog control measures.
Remarkably, Roman has shown incredible resilience following the traumatic event. Despite his injuries, the autistic five-year-old has returned to the park to play, with his mother describing herself as "in awe" of his bravery.
In a touching moment that demonstrated his compassionate nature, Roman even asked his mother if she felt bad for the dog owner, concerned that the man wasn't having a nice day.
The attack comes amid ongoing national concerns about dangerous dogs, particularly following recent fatal incidents involving XL Bully breeds. New legislation now requires owners of certain breeds to register and neuter them, while keeping them muzzled and on leads in public.
