An eight-year-old schoolgirl has been seriously injured after being mauled by a dog in a canine training class.
Annabelle Rowdon was ‘beaten like a rag doll’ by an Anatolian Shepherd which attacked her out of the blue on a training course in Horseheath, Cambridgeshire.
The dog tore flesh from her left arm, before a dog trainer and her 63-year-old grandfather, Steven Rawdon, pulled it away.
The schoolgirl was forced to undergo a five-hour operation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge after breaking both bones in her forehead.
Annabelle’s mother Sonia Rawdon, 34, has now vowed to take legal action against the Anatolian Shepherd’s owners if they are identified.
Eight-year-old schoolgirl Annabel Rawdon (right) was attacked by an Anatolian Shepherd at a dog training class in Horsheth, Cambridgeshire.
Cambridgeshire Police are currently investigating the incident which happened at 10am on June 11 in a village playground south of Cambridge.
The schoolgirl’s mother, from Haverhill, Suffolk, said: ‘If it had grabbed her mouth, or heaven forbid her stomach and grabbed her internal organs, it could have been a completely different situation.’
The mother is about to leave for a hen party when she gets a call that her daughter has been attacked.
The attack took place after a large dog, believed to be an Anatolian Shepherd, had a ‘little go’ at Annabelle’s grandfather’s own German Shepherd.
Both owners led their dogs away from each other before the Anatolian Shepherd pulled away from its owner a few minutes later.
After freeing the Anatolian Shepherd, he pounced on the helpless Annabelle who was standing just meters away.
Annabelle’s mother Sonia Rowdon, 34, (right) said she plans to take legal action if the dog’s owner is identified.
The eight-year-old schoolgirl (pictured) underwent five hours of surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge after suffering a broken arm and severe cuts in the attack.
Mr Rowson, Annabelle’s grandfather, said: ‘We were instructed that the dogs must be kept on a lead and under strict control at all times.
‘When it attacked, it bypassed my dog, me, another dog and its owner and made a beeline for my granddaughter.
‘It was only for a second or two, but it shook him like a ragdoll.’
The schoolgirl’s grandfather and the instructor leading the class stepped in and forced the dog to release Annabelle.
He was rushed to Addenbrookes Hospital, where he required a five-hour operation the following day.
X-rays showed Annabelle had broken both bones in her hand and suffered nine deep cuts.
Annabelle is now recovering at home, but may need further surgery.
She was left shaken by the attack and her family is furious that the dog was allowed to get so out of control.
Annabelle may now be forced to undergo more surgery after being rushed to hospital following the attack in the village of Horsheth, Cambridgeshire.
Annabelle broke both bones in her hands and suffered severe cuts during the vicious dog attack
Mrs Royal, owner of two huskies herself, said: ‘We are proper dog owners. We are not stupid.
‘We know they can be strong animals, so we make sure we have the support we need to tame our dogs.’
Annabelle’s grandfather agrees: ‘You hear of a child being killed by a dog, but you rarely hear of other children being maimed and disfigured by these things.
‘People need to be made aware.’
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: ‘We were called at around 10.20am on Sunday June 11, to reports of a girl being bitten by a dog in Linton Road, Horseheath.
‘The eight-year-old girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
‘An offense of keeping a dog dangerously out of control has been raised and the incident is under investigation.’
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