A 10-year-old boy received more than 50 stitches in his face after he was attacked by a dog in Dublin.
Cameron Lynch was at his grandmother’s house in Drumalee, on the North Circular Road with friends when the attack happened on Tuesday afternoon.
His mother, Jacqueline, said her son was recovering at home but was very shaken after the incident.
She said the first she knew of Cameron being bitten was when his friends ran screaming down the road looking for help.
She told Newstalk her son had been petting a larger dog, believed to be a husky, and a smaller dog at the same time.
When Cameron stopped petting the larger dog and continued petting the smaller dog, she said the bigger dog pinned him up against the wall and mauled him.
Cameron was brought to Temple Street Children’s University Hospital where he had surgery and about 50 stitches.
“I just couldn’t believe it, his poor face. Your main feature on your body,” she said.
Jacqueline said Cameron, who has worked as a child model for more than a year, suffered 11 puncture wounds to his face.
She said she was very grateful her son was alive and back home.
She said she wanted parents to be careful of their children around dogs, as the dog who attacked Cameron had no history of aggression.
The dog was put down following the incident.
Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) spokeswoman Gillian Bird said it was not unusual for any dog to bite.
“It’s always horrific when this happens to a child or anybody,” she said.
“A husky is a big dog but this sort of attack can happen with small dogs too.”
Ms Bird said a dog should never be approached when an owner is not present.
“The problem with huskies is they have a very cute, fluffy look to them and a lot of people have a tendency to go up and hug them. People should never put their face near a dog’s teeth,” she said.
