Boy savaged by 'gentle' pet

A TEENAGER is in hospital today after his arm was almost ripped off by an American bulldog.

Nicky Henderson, 13, was attacked by the animal while he was playing in a friend's garden.

The dog, which was his friend's family pet and had no history of violence, clamped its teeth into the top of the boy's arm and dragged him around the grass for more than three minutes. The bulldog, called Kilo, only released the teenager after it was hit on the head with a shovel and its jaws prised apart by two neighbours using broomsticks.

Nicky was raced to the ERI suffering from extreme blood loss after the dog's teeth severed an artery. The attack, on Gilmerton Dykes Drive, was so bad that it left part of the bone on his underarm exposed.

The teenager is expected to stay in hospital for two weeks after emergency surgery to save his arm. Doctors will know whether the operation was successful within a few days.

Nicky, from Priesthill, in Gracemount, is said to have severe nerve and muscle damage and has lost feeling in his arm. He has several deep puncture wounds and will be scarred for life.

The eight-year-old dog was taken away immediately by police and destroyed.

Today his mother, Suzanne Henderson, said she could "hardly describe how horrible" her son's injuries had been and called for dog owners to be more vigilant.

She said: "The whole of the back of his arm was ripped apart. It was such a horrible sight. It looked like a gooey, bloody pizza.

"Nicky has been drifting in and out of consciousness. He is being given a lot of drugs to deal with the pain.

"They removed a vein from his leg to repair the artery, and we'll see how it is in a couple of days.

"We don't think he'll lose use of the arm but he is very weak and very damaged.

"I'm very concerned about dogs roaming free."

The bulldog's owners, Julie and Alan Korfanty, said they were "devastated" that their "gentle and lovable" pet could have attacked a child. She was sitting on the step next to the youngster at around 3pm on Thursday when it happened.

With tears in her eyes, Mrs Korfanty, 47, who is disabled, said: "I am still in shock and I hope to god the bairn is all right. I just don't understand it. Kilo loved children.

"Nicky had come round because he wanted to play with my boy, but he was out. I saw Kilo go rigid and start growling. I told Nicky to stand up slowly but then he grabbed him. The wee lad was screaming but I wasn't strong enough to pull the dog off."

Neighbour Donna Squires said she had to prise the dog's powerful jaws apart using broomsticks.

She said: "It was quite hideous to watch and the lad was screaming. It took minutes to get the dog's mouth open with two broomsticks, but eventually I managed it with another neighbour."

A Lothian and Borders police spokesman said: "The dog has since been destroyed and enquiries are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident."