Mum’s terror as 16-year-old daughter has chunk of flesh torn off leg in horror dog attack
Rachel West, 46, told of the moment she desperately battled to save Keaton from crazed boxer that locked on to her
A TERRIFIED mum has told of the moment she feared her daughter would die as she was savaged in the street by a neighbour’s dog.
Rachel West, 46, battled desperately to save 16-year-old Keaton from the beast who tore a chunk of flesh from the teenager’s leg.
Rachel and her partner Mark Jarmen were also bitten in the incident in Sale, Gtr Manchester which will leave the teenager scarred for life.
She said: “It was absolutely awful.
“It was just going crazy and was completely locked onto her leg and wouldn’t let go.
“We were trying everything I even put my hands in its jaw.
“I was petrified. It was literally trying to drag her leg from under her and get her down on the floor.
“If it had gone for her face or neck she could have died.”
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The dog’s owner, Jessica Hinds, 36, pleaded guilty to having the beast, described as a Boxer, dangerously out of control at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Rachel told how she sped out of the family home at around 10.30pm in the evening after hearing her daughter’s screams.
She saw the dog ‘locked onto’ Keaton’s leg and along with her boyfriend began desperately trying to free her.
However the animal turned on the pair, biting both of them, and only gave up once it had bitten away a chunk of Keaton’s left calf.
Keaton, a business student, required skin graft surgery, spent two days in hospital and magistrates were told Keaton has needed in excess of 20 further visits after some of her wounds became infected.
And Rachel, who also had wounds to her legs and hands, says her daughter will live with the after effects for forever.
She said: “She was completely traumatised afterwards, she didn’t want to go out and is still terrified of dogs.
“She missed loads of school during her GCSE’s year because of all of the hospital treatment.
“And of course she’s still got this dent in her leg.
“She’s still under the care of the plastic surgeon and they are going to review in a year or two.
“But whatever sentence the court hands out, she will live with this forever.”
Prosecutors said the dog had become ‘animated’ after a violent episode outside the Hinds’ address earlier in the night.
The animal has been kept for the past year in kennels by police but the court was told, despite Hinds saying immediately after the incident she did not want it returned and was happy for it to be put down.
Matt Wallace, defending Hinds, said the incident ‘came out of nowhere’ and the dog had never shown any aggression before.
“She accepts this is a serious matter and she was significant remorse.
“She knows the family and has offered all the help and support she can.”
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