Horror facial injuries for boy (7) after dog attack at school

Mar 3 2011 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON schoolboy was this week savaged by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier outside the gates of a primary school in the town.

Seven-year-old Woodhead Primary pupil Jude Keir had tried to pat the dog as the school came out on Tuesday afternoon at 3.15pm.

Bystanders said that as the P3 pupil clapped the dog, which was on a leash, it grabbed his face and “rag-dolled” him.

It is understood the dog’s jaw locked on Jude’s face and it took a number of people to pull it off him.

He was taken to hospital and treated for eye and facial injuries and is understood to have received 40 stitches.

The dog was seized by police, and a 50-year-old man and two women in their 20s have been reported to the procurator fiscal.

It is said the bull terrier had been with two women who had gone out to Woodhead Primary to pick up a child at the school.

Woodside Primary School headteacher Ann Leckie yesterday (Wednesday) described the incident as “very upsetting for all involved”.

She said: “Young Jude was very brave and is now recovering well in hospital having undergone surgery on Tuesday night. He is expected to be allowed home fairly soon.

“I would like to commend parents and staff for their brave and swift responses to the incident that took place outside the school’s grounds.

“We will continue to provide support and reassurance here in school for our children and families.

“Our children, staff and parents all send their best wishes to Jude and are glad to hear that he is recovering well.”

One parent, whose son and daughter attend the school, told the Advertiser yesterday (Wednesday):

“My wee boy was physically shaking as he told me the horrific story.

“The children thought it was two dogs fighting at first.

“However, they saw a wee boy with blood coming from his head.

“Children shouldn’t have to see things like that.

“It appalls me that the dog was outside the school gates in the first place.

“Dogs shouldn’t be near school gates.”

Hamilton South councillor Brian McCaig, whose ward includes the school, was shocked by the incident.

“This should be a lesson to people with dogs coming to pick up children,” he added.

“Kids are always going to go towards dogs and people should be aware of that.

“If they are going to take dogs to the school gates, they should make sure they are under control at all times.”

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said the attack took place at 3.15pm and involved a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

She added: “The boy was taken to Wishaw General Hospital where he was treated for eye and facial injuries and later transferred to Yorkhill Hospital for surgery.

“The dog has been seized.

“A 50-year-old man and two women, aged 24 and 26, are subject to a report to the procurator fiscal.”

A South Lanarkshire Council spokeswoman said: “On Tuesday a P3 pupil when leaving Woodhead Primary School in Hamilton was attacked by a dog that was on a leash near a footpath outside the school.

“School staff responded quickly and called an ambulance that took him to hospital with facial injuries.

“His mum who was waiting nearby was able to travel in the ambulance with Jude.”