Television personality Myleene Klass has shared a harrowing account of a dog attack that left her fearing for her baby daughter's life. The Loose Women panellist described the incident as "pretty terrifying" during an emotional discussion on the ITV daytime show.
The Terrifying Park Incident
Klass revealed the attack occurred when her first daughter, Ava, was just four months old. The former pop star explained she was placing Ava into her car seat in a park when an unleashed dog suddenly charged towards them. "You feel very vulnerable anyway as a first time mum," Klass told her fellow panellists, "and I was just putting her into her car seat and a dog just ran for her."
In a moment of pure maternal instinct, Klass threw herself over the car seat to protect her infant daughter. "I just got on top of the car seat and her," she recalled. "The dog was on top of me and it was just mauling away and it was utterly terrifying because I didn't know how long it was going to go on for."
A Mother's Protective Instinct
Despite hearing the dog's owner shouting and other people attempting to intervene, Klass said her sole focus remained on shielding her daughter from harm. "All I could think about was trying to cover Ava," she emphasized. The traumatic event left the classical musician shaken, describing the entire experience as "pretty terrifying."
The discussion about dog attacks was prompted by news that Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker-Bowles, had recently experienced a similar incident with his Jack Russell, Maud. The food writer's small dog was attacked by a 10-stone mastiff in west London, leaving the pet requiring two operations and potentially suffering long-term psychological scars.
Rising Dog Attacks Across the UK
This personal testimony comes amid concerning statistics about dog attacks throughout the United Kingdom. Police forces have recorded a significant spike in the number of attacks on people, with some areas experiencing dramatic increases.
According to recent data, Cleveland Police recorded the largest rise in dog attacks, with incidents increasing by a massive 163% between 2019 and 2024. Interactive maps have highlighted which regions of the UK have seen the most incidents, raising concerns about public safety and responsible pet ownership.
The Loose Women episode, which aired on Thursday, November 20, also featured guests including Big Brother host AJ Odudu and Diversity's Ashley Banjo, who discussed their latest projects. The show continues to air weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 12.30pm.
