The mother of two toddlers who were viciously mauled by the family bulldog said she is thankful to her neighbours for saving their lives.
The two-year-old and three-year-old boys were playing in the sunshine on Thursday when their pet dog, Oakley, attacked them.
The mother, who chose to remain anonymous said their six-month-old American bulldog never showed signs of aggression before the ambush in Prescot, Merseyside.
But both boys were taken to hospital with puncture wounds and lacerations in their arms and legs, the Mirror reported.
The puppy, who had been with the family since it was eight or nine weeks old, initially targeted the older of the siblings.
Once the dog was prised off its first target, it immediately pounced on the younger child.
One neighbour described the traumatic attack, ‘I heard screaming and saw this little boy coming down the path,’ they said.
‘His left had been chewed to pieces. I grabbed him and cradled him while I called an ambulance.’
The two-year-old and three-year-old boys were playing in the sunshine on Thursday when their pet dog, Oakley, attacked them
The mother, who chose to remain anonymous said their six-month-old American bulldog never showed signs of aggression before the ambush in Prescot, Merseyside
The mother explained if a neighbour hadn’t intervened, she ‘might not have a son.’
She added: ‘We are not coping. Not only are we dealing with the two kids, we are also grieving for the family dog.
‘They are still the same kids, they are still their same cheeky selves.
‘You wouldn’t know anything had happened, but of course it had.’
The toddlers are expected to make a full recovery.
Chief Inspector Phil Thomson said: ‘the dog has been seized at home.’
