A toddler was viciously mauled by an XL Bully dog in front of a hotel in London Monday morning right in front of his horrified mother, DailyMail UK reports.
A young woman in the area reportedly heard screams and ran outside to the scene where she stated she saw blood “pouring down” the toddler’s leg and the mother “in shock” and “shaking.”
The toddler was airlifted to a hospital with, luckily, non-life-threatening injuries.
The 29-year-old owner of the XL Bully, Thomas Ackah, who seemingly tried to flee the scene but was followed by bystanders, was arrested and charged with handling a dangerous and out-of-control dog.
Just a couple of weeks ago in mid-September, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak began legal proceedings to ban the bully breed in the country by the end of the year.
While it remains unclear what will ultimately happen to the dog in question, it has been taken to a kennel to confirm that it is in fact the soon-to-be-banned American XL Bully.
The young woman who heard the screams described the scene:
“There was a large group of people on the road outside the hotel. As I got nearer I could see a young boy crying and being comforted.”
She continued, “His mother was by his side in shock. She was shaking and asking people 'is he going to be ok? Is he going to be alright?'
“The boy had a bite mark on his lower left buttock above his thigh and blood was pouring down his leg. I couldn't see any other bites on him," she said. “A staff member at the Hilton had brought out a first aid kit. I've got medical experience and I've worked in paediatrics so offered to help.
“An ambulance had already been called. I spoke briefly to the mum. I haven't seen her before locally, she was [an] Indian lady. I think she may well have been a guest at the hotel or had been to visit someone there."
The young woman reported that the mother "was just in a complete daze and I did all I could to reassure her. She went with the boy inside the hotel and the ambulance arrived soon afterwards."
Another nearby resident who partially witnessed the incident reported, “The first I knew something had happened was when I heard a woman screaming, screaming like I've never heard before.
“I opened the door and walked down the steps to my front gate and could see that a crowd of people were coming out of the Hilton Hotel across the road from me."
She stated that “The attack was taking place in the road outside and I could see that people wanted to get involved and to help but they were reluctant to get close. At this point I couldn't hear a dog barking or snarling or anything like that and I thought maybe there were people fighting with knives.
“There was a tree and shrubbery blocking my view of what was going on but it became clear that a dog had attacked a young child and bit the mother who I'd heard screaming.
She then noticed that "The owner of the dog was carrying a mop and bucket—he'd obviously just come from the shops—and was walking away from the scene with the animal.
“A few men from the hotel followed him around the road and then the police arrived. The police leapt out and arrested the man. He was put in the back of a van with his dog and taken away.
“Meanwhile an ambulance had arrived and the toddler was carried on board. I'm so glad and relieved the child is going to be alright.
“I can't say if the dog owner had the animal on a lead, I didn't see one and I suspect not because he was carrying a load of awkward stuff from the shop. The woman said the owner of the dog was arrested just outside her house.”
The witness then clarified, “When I'd got to the scene, there was a dog nearby—it looked like an XL bully or at least some sort of pit bull—which was being restrained by the owner.
“He was trying to walk off—he wasn't running away or anything but there were people shouting at him to stay put. This man continued to walk away with his dog for about 30-seconds or so and then the police arrived and stopped him.
“The officers spoke to him at length and then gave him the chance to say goodbye to his dog before it was taken away.
“His dog was muzzled and taken off into a van. As soon as the dog was gone, the man was handcuffed and put into another police van and taken away.”
