A six-year-old girl has been airlifted to hospital after being mauled by a Staffordshire bull terrier, leaving her with extensive facial injuries.
Police said the incident took place in the garden of the girl’s home in the Etruria area of Stoke-on-Trent.
An ambulance service spokeswoman said: “Crews arrived to find a six-year-old girl who had sustained multiple bite wounds to her face after reportedly being attacked by a dog.
“The girl, who was understandably upset, was given pain relief to help ease her discomfort before ambulance staff assessed her nasty wounds and carefully applied dressings.”
She was then taken to Birmingham Children’s hospital for further emergency care and surgery, and is said to be in a serious but stable condition.
A spokeswoman said the child’s mother travelled in the helicopter with her daughter.
A Staffordshire police spokesperson said: “The incident in Pretoria Street involved a Staffordshire bull terrier and is believed to have taken place in the garden of the home address.
“The dog has been secured and has been taken to a specialist kennel.”
The incident comes weeks after a man was arrested over the death of a three-week-old boy who died after being bitten by a dog. The baby, named as Reggie Young, was attacked at a house in Sunderland and died in hospital.
At the time, police said a dog had been removed from the family home and was likely to be destroyed.
