A DAD whose dog “savaged”; a five-year-old boy says it was a “genuine mistake”; and claims the child was actually in the wrong – sparking a furious response from his mum.
Aaron Eccles’ Pocket Bully – four at the time – after he unexpectedly came into the house and startled the pet, resulting in injuries to his face and legs.
The little boy subsequently needed a three-hour operation to stitch his wounds – while seized the Bully, as well as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, owned by Aaron’s partner, at the scene.
Aaron told The Sun: “It’s a genuine mistake and the parents aren’t accepting the fact that their child’s in the wrong for coming into the house.”;
And says he’d still be happy for the dog to play with his own six-month-old baby son.
However, Antonio’s flabbergasted mum Amanda Holmes has hit back at the owner’s claims, saying her son is “very lucky to be alive”; and was certainly not to blame.
She said “trying to justify”; the dog’s behaviour is “sickening”;.
Aaron, who described arriving home on May 26 to see “20 armed officers”; outside, believes the incident does not necessarily make his pet Harry – initially reported to be an XL Bully – “dangerous”;.
Antonio had followed Aaron’s six-year-old stepson into the house in Oswaldtwistle, , after they’d been playing outside – with only his older sister, age 12, upstairs.
Staffy Bella, who was in season, was in a cage to keep her separate from Harry.
Aaron, 34, told The Sun: “I came back and there’s 20 armed police terrorising my , pepper spraying them and winding them up.
“They told me my dog’s savaged somebody, a four year old boy.”;
He added: “He got reported as an XL Bully but it wasn’t. He’s a Pocket Bully.”;
Pocket Bully dogs are not part of the .
It’s a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dogin and unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption.
Pocket Bullies are a much smaller, though similar breed.
Aaron does not believe there would have been the same police response if they’d known initially Harry was a much smaller dog.
And argues, due to most dogs’ sense of territory and reaction to an “intruder”;, any breed could have reacted in a similar manner.
“The dog’s never met the little boy before so he’s thought he’s an intruder and he’s nipped him to warn him to get out,”; he said.
“He’s not ragged him or savaged him or anything. He has bitten him but it’s a warning bite.
“He hasn’t grabbed hold of him and shook him about – nothing like how it’s been portrayed.”;
Describing Antonio’s injuries, Aaron said: “The marks on his legs are from his (the dog’s) paws when he jumped up at him and also where he’s caught his neck.”;
The dad explained that his partner Nikki Morris, 35, had told her son not to go into the house while she went to collect Aaron from the gym, but in the space of 10 minutes from her leaving the incident happened.
He said: “It’s a genuine mistake and the parents aren’t accepting the fact that their child’s in the wrong for coming into the house.
“The worst has happened and now it’s my family and dogs that are suffering.”;
Aaron previously spent time homeless, with two-year-old Harry as his only companion, and said he’s extremely loyal to him, but “like a teddy bear”; usually.
“He’s never lashed out before,”; he explained.
“He was just protecting his home – what he’s loyal to. They don’t differentiate between an adult and a child when they think it’s a burglar. But he certainly hasn’t mauled him.”;
He continued: “I’ve got an almost six month old baby, the Pocket Bully lies and sleeps next to him.
“I’ve got videos and pictures of him lying next to him licking him to death.
“I wouldn’t have an aggressive dog next to my baby or my stepson.”;
He said he has since had a call from a police officer asking if he would like both dogs euthanised, but told them no.
Aaron understands there will now be an assessment process to understand if the dogs are too dangerous to be allowed home, and he could face charges – but hasn’t yet been arrested.
“The police aren’t responding to me, it’s like they don’t care,”; Aaron continued. “I’m not 100 percent what’s going to happen with the dogs.”;
He said Staffy Bella had only escaped her cage when police arrived and antagonised Harry.
Describing the scene when he arrived home, he said: “All armed police...they were just pepper spraying them through the door, through the back door and banging on the windows, getting them all aggressive while the other armed response officers were coming through the front door, spraying loads of pepper spray on them.
“It was sickening to watch. You don’t do that to someone’s pet. They’re telling me they’re aggressive, and I’m saying if you spray me with pepper spray and wind me up I’ll be aggressive as well.”;
Aaron and Nikki have bought Antonio a present but said they are letting the dust settle a little more before they try to speak to his family.
“We felt bad, but the fact of the matter is they need to accept their little boy was in the wrong, entering the house and they just won’t accept that,”; Aaron said.
“We’re trying to fix things and it’s just getting blown out of proportion. It was a tragic accident, there’s no point torturing both dogs when one wasn’t doing anything and the other isn’t aggressive, he was just doing his job.
“He was just protecting his home.”;
Asked if one of the dogs attacked any of his children he might feel differently, Aaron said: “If I thought the dogs were capable of doing that [a much worse attack] to the children then I wouldn’t think twice, I wouldn’t be keeping them.
“I know 100 percent those dogs wouldn’t do anything to my kids.”;
He added: “My stepson winds them up no end and they still don’t do anything to him. They lick him.
“This is why I’m going so ballistic because I know my dogs are not dangerous.”;
Antonio’s mum Amanda told The Sun: “My son was playing with their son and he went to the door while their son got a drink.
“The dog ran out and attacked my son. Aaron and Nikki, the parents, weren’t even in the house. They was out so maybe if they was in it could of been prevented.
“That dog could have gone for anyone passing by... I’m sick of hearing hearsay.”;
She added: “My lad’s a very lucky boy.”;
Amanda called for Aaron to release footage from his home CCTV to show what happened, but Aaron said his cameras were not recording at the time.
Asked how Antonio is doing, she said: “He’s doing really well – he’s not been to school though and it’s his birthday today (Friday).”;
She said doctors have warned the boy’s scars will be permanent, but his mum added: “Obviously, they will fade with age and I’m going to be getting him some good oil.”;
‘It was the worst thing ever’
Amanda previously said her son had managed to run home, but was left covered in blood following the attack.
He was later taken to Royal Children’s Hospital where he underwent surgery.
He suffered injuries to his cheeks, underneath his chin and his right thigh.
Amanda, 34, said: “It was the worst thing ever, it was horrible. It was so scary.
“I couldn’t believe my son’s face was like that, it was like something out of a .”;
The mum-of-three went on to say: “I heard a scream – you know your child’s cry.
“Antonio was then at the front door, he had blood all over his face and his cheeks were hanging off his face.
“I was screaming, asking what’s happened and then I rang the ambulance.
“Luckily, the dog didn’t remove any skin – they just ripped it.
“They’ve managed to put it all back together, they’ve done a really good job with him.”;
Despite Antonio’s injuries, he seems to be doing well, she’d added.
She said: “I thought that bringing him home from the hospital, when we’ve got a dog, might be an obstacle for him but he’s been absolutely fine.
“The dog knows that he’s been injured so she hasn’t left his side.
“Antonio is doing okay, you can tell that he’s shocked by it.
“He’s still in a lot of pain but he’s doing well.”;
In a post last week, Amanda said: “My son is 4 years old, he plays with my neighbour’s son.
“...went in the house for some juice and there dog pounced on my son and attacked him he’s lucky to still be alive...the comments that are being made on the groups trying to justify the dog are sickening.
“If them dogs were brought up right they should never of seen a 4 year old boy as a threat!“
A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: “We’re appealing for information and footage after a child suffered a dog bite in Oswaldtwistle.
“We were called at shortly after 1.30pm on Monday 26th May following reports that a child had been bitten by a dog on Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle.
“The child, a four-year-old boy, was taken to hospital with injuries to his leg and face.
“Thankfully, those injuries are not life threatening.
“Two dogs have been seized by police – a Staffordshire Bull Terrier type and a Pocket Bully Type and the dog owner has been identified and will be spoken to in due course.”;
