A four-year-old boy has been killed after he was mauled by an illegal breed of dog. The dog was a “pitbull-terrier type” and as such was banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. John Paul Massey died from head and neck injuries following the attack at his grandmother’s home in Wavertree.
According to the BBC, his grandmother, Helen Foulkes, was also attacked as she tried to protect her grandson from the dog and received bites to her legs and body. Merseyside police have been forced to apologise, as they failed to follow up the complaints of a housing officer, who suspected illegal dog breeding was taking place. The police are alleged to have stated that it was not a police matter.
The dog itself was shot by officers after Ms Foulkes was able to get it out of her house. Dogs classed as dangerously out of control in a public place can be destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act. It seems that two parties were at fault for this accident, the owner of the animal and the police. Reports have yet to confirm whether the grandmother was the owner of the animal or not but the police have been forthcoming about their own inadequacies in investigating this matter.
In order to make a claim for personal injury where someone has suffered a dog attack, it is exceptionally important to make sure that you obtain the animal owner’s details. Without these it is very difficult to make a claim for compensation. John Paul’s death is a clear example of the reasons why pitbull terriers are amongst the breed of dogs which are listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act.