Levin, New Zealand - 29 April 2005: Pit Bull Cross Attacks 2-year-old

Story thanks to Manawatu Standard, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Story submitted by AAF Correspondent "firedognz"

Attack leaves mouth hanging
29 April 2005
By JONATHAN MACKENZIE

The mongrel dog that tore into a toddler's face in Levin on Wednesday jumped a fence and ran into a family home to attack the defenceless boy.

Jesse Gimblett, two and a half, was due to return home last night after undergoing hours of surgery to his face at Palmerston North Hospital on Wednesday night.

Witnesses say Jesse was left with severe facial lacerations and his mouth was hanging by a thread after the pit bull-labrador cross attacked him on suburban Charles Street, Levin. Read more after the jump.

The child was visiting his friend Kyran McBride and both boys had been riding their trikes on the driveway moments before the dog struck.

Young couple Kelly and Nick McBride yesterday described their horror the moment the seemingly friendly dog bounded into their home and savaged their friend's son.

"What can you do when a dog jumps a fence and comes into your house?" Mr McBride said yesterday.

"We were watching TV and the kids were inside so we stood up to have a look at the dog.

"We were standing there talking saying `what the hell are we going to do' . . . I turned to talk to Nick and, bang, the dog just lunged and pinned him down," Mrs McBride, a nurse, told the Manawatu Standad.

"It had already torn through the skin on his face so his mouth was all hanging off . . . it was still there but it was hanging off so I stuck my hand in there to keep its jaws off," she said.

The intervention allowed Mr McBride, a house husband, to pull the animal off - but not without a struggle.

"He got hold of his face and the dog just shook himself," Mr McBride said.

"I flung the dog off and went to get the boy and it went in for a second time, but I think all the damage happened in the first attack."

AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the hubbub the dog, which did not have a collar, ran off and hasn't been seen since.

Jesse's mother and Mrs McBride took him to a doctor's surgery on Queen Street before he was transferred to Palmerston North Hospital.

The couple were shocked and disgusted when they found some of little Jesse's teeth embedded in their blood-soaked carpet.

"I thought they were the dog's teeth, but when we were cleaning up the blood there they were children's teeth," Mrs McBride said.

"And the dog ripped out a couple more teeth as well."

"The child is very sore because all the medication has worn off. He just wants to come home and be with his mate - my son."

Now Mrs McBride fears the dog might return for her own son, so she is keeping her boy away till the animal is found and destroyed.