XL Bully attack leaves Scots schoolboy with life-changing injuries

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A five-year-old boy has been left with life-changing injuries after he was attacked by an XL Bully.

Little Teddy Kerr has had to have his face reconstructed after the beast tore into his head and body at a house in Paisley.

The dog was destroyed after the brutal mauling at an address on Greenbank Drive in the town on Sunday, November 3.

Teddy had been visiting family friends with his mum, Chelsey, 32, and sisters, Brooke, 10 and Taylor, 9, when the horror incident unfolded.

His helpless loved ones watched on as the mutt turned on Teddy and ripped into his back before pinning him down and locking its jaws into his cheek.

The schoolboy was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) as blood poured from his wounds. He is now being cared for at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and has received over 100 stitches to his face.

Teddy's gran Marion Hanratty told the Record: "I thought I was going to lose my grandson.

"The dog's teeth punctured through his back and the bites were inches away from puncturing his lungs. If that had happened then who knows what the outcome would have been.

"He is only five, but he will be scarred for life after this.

"He is such a gorgeous wee boy and to see him like this makes me feel physically sick.

“He can’t even smile right now because he has so many stitches across his face.

“He was screaming the other day when he got a glimpse of his face in the mirror. He doesn’t want to look at himself.

“His big sisters were also shocked when they went into hospital to see him and they are still dealing with the trauma of witnessing the attack."

"We are all worried about what the future will hold for him now and we just hope and pray his scars will fade over time. Teddy is lucky to be alive."

Marion said Teddy’s mum is completely distraught following the attack at her friend's home.

She added: “Chelsey was in the kitchen. The next minute she heard her girls screaming.

"She ran into the living room and Teddy was on the floor with the dog on top of him.

“When it let go there was blood everywhere it was pouring out of Teddy's face.

“Chelsey said she felt as if she was in a nightmare. She went into a panic and she couldn't breath.

“She didn’t even call an ambulance she just drove Teddy straight to hospital.

“The trauma team took him into resus and packed his face and back with bandages to stop the bleeding.

“They were worried the bite had punctured his lungs because his oxygen levels kept dropping and he had a wound three and a half inches deep on his back but thankfully an X-ray ruled out serious damage.

"Chelsey really though he was going to die. When she called me to say what had happened I was hysterical too. I couldn’t believe it.”

Doctors in Glasgow had to call in a specialist plastic surgeon to operate on Teddy.

The primary 1 pupil spent over an hour in surgery where he had his skin stretched and stitches placed inside and outside of his cheek and back.

Marion wants to see a complete ban on XL Bullys following the attack.

She has hit out at at current legislation which only demands the dogs should be muzzled in public places.

She continued: “They need to be banned. They are a dangerous breed of dog.

“What happened to Teddy should be enough to see them outlawed. The legislation isn’t good enough in Scotland.”

Marion said that despite his terrible ordeal, Teddy is still a huge fan of dogs and is missing his own Staffie pup, Kingston while he is in hospital.

She added: “Teddy loves all animals and he is missing his puppy.

“He just keeps saying the dog that attacked him is a ‘bad dog’."

The Rangers-daft football player is also missing his pals at school and watching his beloved Light Blues.

Marion said: "Teddy is such a happy child. He's been missing playing football, all his friends at school and watching Rangers."

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A 41-year-old man has since been charged in connection with the incident.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 8.05pm on Sunday, 3 November, 2024, police received a report a 5-year-old child had been attacked by a dog in Greenbank Drive, Paisley.

"The child was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the dog was seized.

"A 41-year-old man has been charged and reported to the Procurator Fiscal for offences under the Dangerous Dog Act.

"The dog has been destroyed.”

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