4 year old girl attacked by police dog

Girl, 4, attacked by police dog as she plays in park





By Lucy Ballinger
Last updated at 8:23 AM on 07th April 2010

• Comments (110)
  
• Add to My Stories
  

Ordeal: Erika Carter De Freitas Galiano and her bruised right arm

A girl of four was saved by her coat after being savaged by a police dog in a park.

The German Shepherd, being exercised by an off-duty officer, chased Erika Carter De Freitas Galiano, bit her arm and dragged her to the ground.

It was only her thick pink padded coat which saved her from serious injury from the dog’s powerful jaws.

She was taken to hospital with a two and a half inch long bruise on her right arm and is on antibiotics because the animal’s teeth pierced her skin.

The incident has left Erika so frightened of dogs that she won’t now even be in the same room as the family’s puppy.

Erika’s mother Kerry Carter, 24, said: ‘We were walking home from a family meal and Erika started running through the park.

‘I saw a man with a dog, but didn’t think they were a threat.

‘I glanced away and then heard a scream, I looked back and Erika was on the floor screaming.

‘The man said something to the dog then went over to Erika and was hugging her as she was curled up on the ground.

‘I was so shocked. I asked him why he had the dog off the lead and he said: “I’m a police officer, this is a police dog”.

‘You never expect a person in a position of responsibility to have a dangerous dog off a lead in a children’s park like that.



Playground: Kismet Park in Canvey Island, Essex, where the girl had been playing


Vicious: The girl was attacked by a German Shepherd that was being exercised in the park (file picture)

‘This is what this dog was brought up and trained to do. He said he thought there was no one there and it was the evening, so it would be safe.

‘But it was 7pm on Easter Sunday, of course people are going to be around.

‘He was very apologetic, but the damage had already been done.

‘If this was a normal person’s dog it would have been put down, but all the police have done is take the dog out of active duty.’

David Mills, 55, who witnessed the attack, said: ‘The dog flew straight towards the little girl, bit her arm and dragged her to the ground. She was screaming.’

Miss Carter added: ‘It is an awful thing for my daughter to go through and has had a terrible effect on her.

‘She won’t be in the same room as our puppy, Tia, and is scared of dogs. It is very distressing and has been a horrible ordeal.

‘This dog has been trained to attack, it just happened to be a child running past, not a criminal. If I had known it was a police dog I would never have let my daughter go into the park.

‘I think the law should be changed so off-duty dogs have to be marked by wearing a vest or something.’

Essex Police’s professional standards department is investigating the attack.

A spokesman for the force said the German Shepherd would remain off duty during the inquiry.

He added: ‘It is normal practice for handlers to exercise their dogs off the lead while off duty.’

Print this article
Read later
Email to a friend


Share this article:



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263932/Girl-4-attacked-police-dog-plays-park.html#ixzz0kQ1p2wjP

surely if the dog as properly trained and under control this would never have happened, so it should have not been let off lead if the owner was incapable of controllin the dog...

i notice the picture they used of a gsd isnt the most flattering

Thats such a shame, like you say if the dog was trained properly then sureley it wouldnt have gone for the poor girl - but why do they always portray GSD as vicous and dangerous? Most would just lick you to death!!!

it obviously wasnt trained properly, i thought they only attacked on command? And that officer should of known better.