Mum’s appeal after dog savages girl
Reporter: Marina Berry
Date published: 19 January 2010
A DETERMINED mum is not giving up the fight to track down a dog which savaged her teenage daughter.
Gabriella Crawford needed hospital treatment after the vicious attack left her with horrific bite and puncture wounds and on crutches for two weeks.
Her mother, Hester Hopkins, is determined to find the dog to prevent it attacking another child.
Gabriella (13) was sledging with two friends on land known locally as “Kingy”, off Queen Street, Shaw.
Her mother said: “A dark brown and black, or brindle, Staff-type dog charged straight at her, biting her left knee.
“It attacked again, clamping down on her right thigh before finally being fought off by the owner and Gabriella.
“She suffered nasty bites to both legs and was absolutely petrified.
“She kept hitting it and even tried forcing her fingers into its mouth in an effort to release its grip.”
Hester said the dog went for her daughter’s other leg after the owner put it on a lead, forcing her daughter to crawl away on her hands and knees.
The owner told the children the dog, which he called Nipper, had never attacked before, and he would get the farmer to shoot it. He took Gabriella’s address but has not been in touch with the family.
A woman who lives in Queen Street took Gabriella in and tended her wounds before calling for an ambulance and police when the drama unfolded on the Tuesday before Christmas.
Hester said she was extremely grateful for her help but has been unsuccessful in contacting her to thank her in person. She found out about the attack when she was contacted at Our Lady’s Primary School, Royton, where she is a teaching assistant. “When I got to hospital all I could see were blood and deep cuts.
“We have dogs of our own and nothing phases Gabriella, but she was absolutely petrified,” said Hester.
“Her injuries were nasty, horrible and horrendous, but I realise now she was lucky. The dog could have gone for her face. The next person it attacks might not be so lucky.”
Hester, who has two other children, plans to put posters up around Queen Street appealing for help in identifying the dog.
“At the very least it should have been wearing a muzzle,” she said.
Gabriella is a pupil of Crompton House School and Rose Queen for St Paul’s Church.
She and her friends who watched the attack in horror, said the dog owner was aged between 50 and 60, around 6ft tall and dressed in black with grey stubble.
The dog had a stumpy tail, dark collar and chain lead with a dark handle.
Anyone with any information should contact PC McNally on 0161-856 8910.
