A father says he was “an inch from death” after a dog savagely attacked him as he walked into his home.
Plasterer Neil Inman suffered horrific injuries to his groin area when the animal lunged at him as he carried shopping to his front door in Hednesford, Staffordshire.
The 55-year-old was rushed for treatment in hospital where surgeons told him he would have died if a main artery an inch away from the wound had been cut.
The attack on 27 October came only a month after a man was killed by two suspected American bully XL dogs near Walsall, just 10 miles away.
The dog that attacked Mr Inman was not an American bully XL dog - a breed the government is banning from breeding and selling from the end of this year.
But the father-of-two said the attack showed the danger some dogs posed in public.
Mr Inman said he was taken by surprise when the animal, which was on a lead, leapt up and bit his groin area, before being pulled away. After feeling blood come down his trousers, he quickly discovered his injuries and was rushed to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
He was taken into urgent surgery and “sewn up” before remaining in a ward for three days as doctors monitored his progress.
Speaking to The Independent, he said: “It nearly killed me, if he [the dog] got my artery. The surgeon said [I was] an inch away from death.”
He added: “It is very scary, you think you’re going to die and it’s mentally upsetting. It’s made me stay in a lot at the moment, I can’t even think of going to a park where I live just in case it happens again.”
Mr Inman has called for all dangerous dogs should be banned, irrespective of the breed, with those kept alive should wear muzzles when out in public.
Staffordshire Police said the dog was contained at the scene. A man in his 40s is due to be interviewed over the attack, a spokesperson said.
They added: “The dog was not destroyed and has since been seized by police and placed in secure accommodation. The owner continues to co-operate as part of the investigation.”
Dog attacks have made headlines this year with a number of well-publicised incidents - but it isn’t just XL bully dogs involved.
Last month, a ten-month-old baby was left needing surgery after he was attacked by a Cane Corso X dog in Barnsley, Yorkshire. In the same month, a girl, thought to be around 3 years-old, was attacked by a pitbull-type dog in north-east London.
Under the new rules coming into place on 31 December, American bully XL will be added to the list of prohibited dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act. It will first be illegal to sell or breed the type of dog, before ownership will be outlawed in February 2024.
Rishi Sunak has said the breed, which campaigners have linked to at least 14 human deaths since 2021, is a danger to children and communities.
