The mother of a nine-year-old girl who needed stitches after being bitten by a dog is appealing for the owner to come forward after she claimed he told her daughter it was ‘just a scratch’ – and then walked off.
Jordan Roberts, from Overdale Road in Bayston Hill, had to go to the emergency department of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and ended up having six stitches to the wound on the underside of her arm.
Her furious mother, Emma, says she wants to find the owner who she says behaved very irresponsibly by letting the animal run loose in a park where dogs are banned, and then abandoned her daughter even though he knew she was hurt.
The incident took place on Longmeadow Park.
Mrs Roberts said: “Jordan was playing football in the park with some friends which is just two minutes walk from our house.
“She went to catch the ball at the same time the dog jumped up.
“In the dog’s eagerness to get the football it took a rather large bite on her arm.
“The owner told my daughter ‘to go and sit on a bench for five minutes, it only scratched the skin, you’ll be okay.’
“I’d like to let the owner know that we actually ended up in A&E for two-and-a-half hours and my daughter received six paper stitches to the wound.”
Mrs Roberts said it was the quick-thinking actions of Jordan’s friend Mattie who brought her home and alerted her about the bite.
“The bite was an accident but I think the owner behaved badly. Dogs are not allowed in that park and it was off the lead.
“The owner then just walked off from my daughter. I want to find him as I think he should at least apologise.
“My daughter has suffered a lot of pain and if not for the fact we have a dog of our own, God only knows what her reaction to dogs would be now. It took both my husband and myself three very long stressful days to persuade my daughter to go back and play in the park.
“If anyone saw the incident I would be really grateful if they could contact me. Ideally, I would like the owner of the dog – a collie of sorts which I believe is called Socks – to get in touch. I understand that the owner, who was accompanied by a little girl, has short blond spiky hair and may have been in his twenties.”
Maria Hawkaluk, police spokesperson, said: “The incident was reported to police and we are appealing for the dog owner, or anyone with any information, to contact Shrewsbury Police Station on 0300 333 3000.”
Contact Mrs Roberts on 01743 873766.
