Girl, 3, 'ripped open' by Cockapoo outside primary school

WARNING - GRAPHIC IMAGES: Rowen Skinley was walking his children home when his three-year-old daughter Bunnie was randomly set upon by a Cockapoo outside a primary school in Rainham, Kent
A young girl has been left traumatised after she was viciously attacked by a dog outside a primary school, with the animal "ripping open" her skin.
Rowen Skinley was walking his three children home when a Cockapoo suddenly lunged for his daughter Bunnie in Rainham, Kent earlier this week. The attack happened near Miers Court Primary School on Tuesday and left the young girl with severe skin injuries.
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While the dog and its owner quickly made off from the scene, members of the public rushed to help Rowen and Bunnie. The three-year-old was taken to hospital where she underwent plastic surgery.
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According to dad Rowen, who says he had to "hold the skin on [Bunnie's] arm together" while she awaited treatment, the dog was a small, sandy-coloured Cockapoo. Kent Police confirmed officers are investigating.
Rowen said: "It happened parallel to the school on the main road. I was just walking home after the school run. The path is quite narrow, and a woman was walking her dog on the actual road itself.
"Then, out of nowhere, the dog just lunged for my daughter and pulled her to the floor. The owner managed to pull the dog off, but when she did that, it ripped her skin open. I was so shocked. All I had to stop the bleeding was my hands. I had to basically hold her skin together."
Witnesses rushed over to help Rowen - but the owner quickly left the scene, he claims. Rowen said: "People who saw what happened came over and said that my daughter hadn't even put her hand out to the dog. The woman just disappeared. She didn't leave any details or anything."
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Bunnie was rushed to Medway Maritime Hospital and then transferred to St Thomas' in Westminster the next morning. There, she had several X-rays to ensure the puncture hadn't hit her bone, before undergoing plastic surgery.
According to her dad, Bunnie has been left shaken following the incident. She will need to return to hospital within a week for a check-up, and to assess whether she will need further work done. Rowen said: "She's doing well now. She's just a bit shaken and keeps talking about how scared she is of the dog.
"She also has a lung condition and really bad asthma so she had to be marked down as a high-risk category for sedation. It's really upsetting that the woman didn't stop because it makes you fear for the safety of other kids."
A Kent Police spokesperson confirmed an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist officers' inquiries, including CCTV or doorbell footage, should contact police on 01634 792209, quoting 46/102876/25.

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Daily Mail​

11 hours ago

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Girl, three, has arm ripped open by cockapoo as her father is forced to 'hold her skin together' after attack outside primary school

A girl, three, has had her arm ripped open by a cockapoo, with her father forced to 'hold her skin together' after the attack outside a primary school. Bunnie was walking home with her father Rowen Skinley and two siblings in Rainham, Kent, on Tuesday when the designer dog attacked outside Miers Court Primary School. She had to be rushed to hospital in London for emergency plastic surgery after the Cocker Spaniel and Poodle crossbreed brutally mauled her unprovoked. The owner of the small, sandy-coloured pooch 'just disappeared', leaving no details, after pulling the dog off the toddler and tearing her skin in doing so, Mr Skinley said. The father explained: 'I was so shocked. All I had to stop the bleeding was my hands. I had to basically hold her skin together.' Thankfully, he continued: 'She's doing well now. She's just a bit shaken and keeps talking about how scared she is of the dog... 'It's really upsetting that the woman didn't stop because it makes you fear for the safety of other kids.' A Kent Police spokesperson confirmed an investigation is ongoing. Cockapoos have often been touted as family-friendly bundles of cuteness - playful, warm, curly-haired teddy bears, who are easy to manage and train. But Mr Skinley had a rather different experience with the popular breed: 'It happened parallel to the school on the main road. I was just walking home after the school run. 'The path is quite narrow and a woman was walking her dog on the actual road itself. 'Then, out of nowhere, the dog just lunged for my daughter and pulled her to the floor.' Bystanders rushed over to help: 'People who saw what happened came over and said that my daughter hadn't even put her hand out to the dog.' Bunnie was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital in nearby Gillingham before being transferred to St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster, London, the next morning. There, she had several X-rays to ensure the puncture had not hit her bone, before undergoing the reconstructive surgery. Mr Skinley explained: 'She also has a lung condition and really bad asthma so she had to be marked down as a high-risk category for sedation.' The girl will have to return to hospital within a week for a check-up, to assess if she needs even more surgery. Anyone with information that could assist officers' inquiries, including CCTV or doorbell footage, should contact police on 01634 792209, quoting 46/102876/25. It comes after MailOnline revealed at the end of last year that at least 16 dangerous dogs are seized every day in the UK. Just under 6,000 dangerous dogs were seized by 27 forces from November 2023 until the same month the following year, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request found - meaning 114 dogs are taken every week. Of the forces which responded to the FOI, Greater Manchester had the highest figures, with 19 dogs seized a week. It took 1,000 in a year and put 337 of the animals to sleep. Second highest is the West Midlands force with 17 dogs, followed by Northumbria with nine. West Yorkshire seized eight a week, while Leicestershire said it seized six. Experts have now warned that banning dangerous dogs in order to keep the public safe has 'critical flaws' and the focus should be on making owners more responsible instead. A spokesperson at which obtained the data, said: 'The Dangerous Dogs Act has been in effect for over three decades and yet, hospital admissions due to dog bites continue to rise.' They added that instead of focusing on breed, the emphasis should be on 'addressing the root causes of dog aggression' instead.

The Sun

a day ago

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Toddler, 3, horrifically mauled by cockapoo had her ‘arm ripped open' as dad ‘held her skin together'

A THREE-year-old girl has been mauled by a cockapoo in a vicious attack that saw the child's arm ripped open by the designer dog. The young girl, Bunnie, was rushed to hospital shortly after the attack outside a primary school. 4 4 Bunnie's father, Rowen Skinley, witnessed the brutal attack on his young daughter and was forced to hold her skin together. Rowen was walking his three children to school when the cockapoo lunged at his daughter. She suffered serious injuries during the attack near Miers Court Primary School, Kent, on Tuesday June 17. Bunnie underwent plastic surgery after being rushed to hospital with surgeons attempting to stitch her torn skin back together. Kent Police have confirmed they are investigating the horrific incident. Dad Rowan recalled having to "hold the skin on [Bunnie's] arm together" while she waited for treatment. According to reports Bunnie was attacked by a small sandy-coloured cockapoo. Rowan said: "It happened parallel to the school on the main road. I was just walking home after the school run. "The path is quite narrow, and a woman was walking her dog on the actual road itself. "Then, out of nowhere, the dog just lunged for my daughter and pulled her to the floor. Girl, 10, mauled by next-door neighbour's Chow Chow before dog RETURNED to owners leaving family 'petrified' "The owner managed to pull the dog off, but when she did that, it ripped her skin open. "I was so shocked. All I had to stop the bleeding was my hands. I had to basically hold her skin together." Witnesses to the vicious attack rushed over to help rowan and Bunnie but the owner of the dog quickly left the scene. 4 4 Rowen said: "People who saw what happened came over and said that my daughter hadn't even put her hand out to the dog. "The woman just disappeared. She didn't leave any details or anything." He added: "She's doing well now. She's just a bit shaken and keeps talking about how scared she is of the dog. "She also has a lung condition and really bad asthma so she had to be marked down as a high-risk category for sedation. "It's really upsetting that the woman didn't stop because it makes you fear for the safety of other kids." Bunnie was rushed to Medway Maritime Hospital and then transferred to St Thomas' in Westminster on the morning of June 18. She had several X-rays to ensure the puncture hadn't hit her bone, before undergoing plastic surgery. Bunnie will have to go back to the hospital within a week for a check-up, and to assess whether she will need further work done. Kent Police confirmed that an investigation into the attack is ongoing and asked anyone with information, including CCTV or doorbell footage, to contact the police quoting 46/102876/25. Which dog breeds are banned in the UK? THERE are specific regulations in place that prohibit certain dog breeds from being owned or bred in the UK. So what are the illegal dogs in the UK and why are they illegal? Here's what we know. Which dog breeds are illegal in the UK? People tend to think of large, vicious dogs when they imagine being bitten by one. But the truth is that many types of dogs are known to bite humans, whether provoked or not. However, it's important to remember that just because a breed tends to bite humans, that doesn't mean that they all do. British law determines five breeds of dog are illegal to own, breed, sell or give away. These are an XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.

Daily Record

a day ago

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Toddler 'ripped open' by Cockapoo outside primary school as owner fled the scene

WARNING - GRAPHIC IMAGES: Rowan Skinley was walking is kids home from school when his three-year-old daughter Bunnie was suddenly mauled by a Cockapoo. A three year old girl has been left traumatised after a vicious dog attack outside a primary school, with the animal"ripping open" her skin. Rowan Skinley was walking his three kids home from school when a Cockapoo suddenly lunged at his daughter Bunnie, dragging her to the ground and ripping open her arm, reports the Mirror. ‌ The terrifying incident happened on Tuesday near Miers Court Primary School in Kent. ‌ Despite the attack leaving the toddler with serious injuries and needing plastic surgery, the dog's owner fled the scene without offering help or leaving any contact details. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Members of the public rushed to help Rowen and Bunnie. The three-year-old was taken to hospital. According to dad Rowen, who says he had to "hold the skin on [Bunnie's] arm together" while she awaited treatment, the dog was a small, sandy-coloured Cockapoo. Kent Police confirmed officers are investigating. Rowen said: "It happened parallel to the school on the main road. I was just walking home after the school run. The path is quite narrow, and a woman was walking her dog on the actual road itself. ‌ "Then, out of nowhere, the dog just lunged for my daughter and pulled her to the floor. The owner managed to pull the dog off, but when she did that, it ripped her skin open. I was so shocked. All I had to stop the bleeding was my hands. I had to basically hold her skin together." Rowen said: "People who saw what happened came over and said that my daughter hadn't even put her hand out to the dog. The woman just disappeared. She didn't leave any details or anything." ‌ Bunnie was rushed to Medway Maritime Hospital and then transferred to St Thomas' in Westminster the next morning. There, she had several X-rays to ensure the puncture hadn't hit her bone, before undergoing plastic surgery. According to her dad, Bunnie has been left shaken following the incident. She will need to return to hospital within a week for a check-up, and to assess whether she will need further work done. Rowen said: "She's doing well now. She's just a bit shaken and keeps talking about how scared she is of the dog. "She also has a lung condition and really bad asthma so she had to be marked down as a high-risk category for sedation. It's really upsetting that the woman didn't stop because it makes you fear for the safety of other kids." A Kent Police spokesperson confirmed an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist officers' inquiries, including CCTV or doorbell footage, should contact police on 01634 792209, quoting 46/102876/25.