THE FATHER of a boy who was attacked by a dog in a popular park in Limerick City spoke of the horror that left his son with 30 stitches to his face.
Limerick man Joe Flynn said his eight-year-old son Jackson is lucky to be alive after his head was grabbed by a dog and locked in the animal’s jaws.
Mr Flynn said the recent death of 23-year-old Limerick woman Nicole Morey, who was mauled to death by her own dogs, prompted him to go public about his son’s attack, and to warn the public to be vigilant of any type of dog.
The 58-year-old father said the dog that attacked his son was not a large dog, nor one that appeared to be on any restrictive breed lists.
However, he warned the terrier-type dog, nonetheless, caused serious damage to Jackson’s face and “traumatised” the young boy as well as his six-year-old sister, who witnessed the attack in the People’s Park in Limerick City.
“We love going to the People’s Park, it’s great, the staff there and the park rangers are brilliant,” My Flynn told the Limerick Post.
“My young lad loved dogs and he always asked to pet a dog in the park. He would give them a fast rub and let the dog lick his face.”
However, the family’s afternoon stroll in the park turned into a nightmare when the dog latched onto the boy’s face when he tried to pet the animal.
“There was a black terrier type of dog, some mad mixed breed, and my son went over and put his hand down to rub the dog. The dog was sitting down without a leash, with his tongue hanging out, and he (Jackson) went to rub the dog and the dog just locked onto his face.
“The dog tore the face off him. I’m not a religious person but I’m still thankful because if the dog got him in the neck and hit a vital vein, he might have bled out.”
Jackson underwent reconstructive facial surgery at University Hospital Limerick after the attack.
“When I had him cuddled into my hip and had his bite covered with a jumper, the dog started going for other people,” Mr Flynn recalled.
“The dog was going for everybody, barking and screaming.
“We got an awful fright, it was so traumatic, my daughter was screaming, my kids don’t ever want to look at a dog again.”
The distressed father also claimed that “the People’s Park is not a dog park, there are dog parks in other areas where owners can release the dogs in a safe environment where there are barriers made of diamond wire”.
Mr Flynn praised staff at University Hospital Limerick for their response and treatment of Jackson.
“When they saw the injuries on his face, they knew he wouldn’t have been able to take the stitches, so they said they would have to perform surgery.
“He got thirty stitches, he’s still obviously sore. He always wanted a dog but he doesn’t want anything to do with a dog now.”
Mr Flynn warned parents: “Don’t let your child go near a dog because you don’t know about the dog. Think twice.”
Meanwhile, Gardaí at Roxboro Road Garda Station (061 214 340) have appealed for information about the dog attack on Ms Morey.
When Gardaí arrived at Ms Morey’s house in Fedamore on the night of June 4, they encountered four aggressive dogs. A member of the armed Garda Emergency Response Unit shot and killed one of the dogs, and three others had to be restrained.
It’s understood Ms Morey was killed by her pet XL Bully dog.
Gardaí asked the public not to share video footage of the fatal dog attack, which was apparently recorded on a security camera at the scene, and was circulating on social media in the aftermath of the attack.