A brave grandmother fought off a pack of dogs to save her two-year-old granddaughter from being attacked.
The little girl was playing with her friends in a relative's back garden when up to five dogs burst in and began attacking the children.
The young girl, who has been named locally as Ella, was bitten by the dogs, leaving her with serious wounds to her face and body, the Liverpool Echo reports. However, her quick-thinking nan stepped in and pulled the little girl to safety.
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She was airlifted to hospital, where she was treated for 'serious, but non-life-threatening' injuries.
The grandmother was also taken to hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and later released.
One neighbour told the paper: "Her grandmother is a hero. You always think you'd put yourself between a child and any danger but she has actually done it."
Chief Inspector Dave Westby told the Liverpool Echo: "This was a horrific attack which has resulted in a two-year-old girl suffering extensive injuries to her head and body.
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"The investigation is in its early stages, but it is believed that the child was playing in the back garden of a relative's address with two other children, aged four and six years, when a number of dogs from a nearby house managed to get into the garden.
"At this stage it is believed that the little girl was attacked by more than one dog, and officers are trying to establish how many dogs were involved in the incident. Fortunately, a relative who was in the house was able to rescue the child from the dogs.
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"This case highlights in the starkest terms the potential dangers of dogs and I would appeal to anyone with information about dangerous dogs in their area to contact us so that we can take proactive action."
A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated Section 3 (under the Dangerous Dogs Act) of having a dangerous dog or dogs out of control. Five dogs and five puppies were seized from his home and are now with specialist officers who are trying to establish the breed.
Source: Liverpool Echo
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Dogs