Shocking pub beer garden attack as ‘bulldog ragged toddler up and down after biting his face’

“The little boy was apparently going inside with his mother to use the sweet machine”

A two‑year‑old boy was left ‘with no recognisable facial features’ after a dog “ragged him up and down” in what a witness described as an “absolutely horrific” attack in a pub beer garden.

The incident took place at The Wulstan pub in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, at around 3pm on July 15, shortly after the toddler had been enjoying some food, an onlooker said. Police have confirmed that an investigation into the events is underway, calling on the public to help, The Sentinel reports.

Philip Preece, a reported regular at The Wulstan, saw the alleged attack, claiming that the canine involved was “some kind of Bulldog breed“.

Standard Bulldogs, also known as English Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs are completely legal to own in the UK. However, the American XL Bully is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

“I was sitting outside with a few people. The child was sitting across from me on another pub table,” Mr Preece explained to The Sentinel. “He was playing with some plastic dinosaurs and sitting with his mum. He had been enjoying some chicken nuggets and chips. Just having a nice family time.

“I went inside the pub to get myself another lager shandy. As I went to go back outside, the mother ran into the pub carrying her child. He was in an absolute mess. You couldn’t make out any of his facial features. He was covered in blood. His mum was too. So much was gushing out.

“I quickly learned he’d been attacked by a dog. I came out of the pub and saw this lad. He had his dog on a lead. But it hadn’t been wearing it earlier. He must have put it on quickly after the attack.”

A West Midlands Ambulance Service statement confirmed that an ambulance and a paramedic officer attended the incident, and that the child was rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital for ’emergency care’.

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Mr Preece continued: “I asked what the hell was going on. Everyone was hysterical. A young lad who works for me called 999. Thankfully, the ambulance and the paramedics arrived very quickly to take the boy to hospital. I was in shock.

“He’d just been having a nice time. Then all of a sudden his mum is in tears and he’s bleeding. It was absolutely horrific. It’s not something I’d ever like to see again. Everyone was in utter disbelief.

“The little boy was apparently going inside with his mother to use the sweet machine. Then he’s been attacked. He’s only a baby. The dog ragged him up and down after biting his face. If the dog had gone a bit lower, it could have ended up biting the boy’s throat. It could have been even more serious. We’re all just wishing him a speedy recovery.”

Staffordshire Police are appealing for witnesses following the alleged attack. A police spokesman said: “We were called to The Wulstan following reports that a child had been bitten by a dog.

“Officers attended the scene alongside colleagues from West Midlands Ambulance Service. The child was taken to hospital with facial injuries. He has since been discharged. Our investigation is ongoing and we are appealing for anyone with any information that might help our investigation to contact us.”

Witnesses should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 592 of 15 July, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.