The parents of a toddler mauled by a dog have thanked their new neighbours for saving his life.
Three-year-old Denis Jano suffered terrible injuries to his face and scalp after the XL bully clamped his head in its jaws as he played outside.
He also suffered bruising to his arm and back. Only the swift action of neighbours, who fought to pull the snarling dog off terrified Denis, stopped the attack.
One resident grabbed the vicious dog ‘by the b*******’ to make it release its grip on Denis. The XL bully has been destroyed following the attack on Monday in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
A woman, 42, has been arrested on suspicion of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control. Denis is now back at home following treatment at Sheffield General Hospital for the bite marks.
His mother, who is Czech, and his Slovakian father, have five other children. They thanked neighbours who ran to Denis’ aid, saying: ”They saved his life.”
The family was still in the process of moving in to the red-brick terraced house on Monday at 2pm when the dog attacked.
“We only moved here on Friday and we were painting and shopping and getting things in the house,” they said.
”Me and Denis and the smallest girl, we went outside. Denis was next to me playing with a toy shopping trolley,' his mum, who did not wish to be named, said.
“The lady with the dog opened the gate to take out the garbage can. The dog got out of the gate and ran towards Denis.
“I was yelling ‘no’, ‘no’, but it came and bit him. I was screaming and grabbed my little girl in my arms.”
One neighbour who heard her screaming, Thomas Hogan, 23, ran out of his house to help.
Thomas said: ”I saw the dog with the kid’s head in its mouth. His mother was really screaming.
“Other neighbours came to help and managed to drag the dog off, one of us got the dog by the b*******.
“I thought the dog was going to kill him. There was blood all over the little boy’s dad’s shirt.”
Thomas dialled 999 after the dog was under control and back locked behind the iron gates of his owner’s home. Police seized the dog and it has since been destroyed.
Thomas added: ”The dog was vicious. It has previously killed a neighbour’s cat, and bitten another child - but nowhere near as badly.”
Another neighbour said the 42 year old who has been arrested had previously had an American pit bull but it was later taken away.
The house where the XL bully lived has broken windows and nobody answered the door when the Mirror called.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "Police were called to the attack on a three-year-old boy by an XL bully in the Spalton Road area of Parkgate just after 2pm on Monday.
“He was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries. The animal has been seized and a 42-year-old woman was bailed after being arrested on suspicion of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control.”
An investigation is underway and anybody with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident 538 of April 17.
