Boy, 3, requires surgery after dog attack

Aisling O’Hagan’s son, Riley, was left bloodied and requiring hospital treatment after the incident in Londonderry on Wednesday evening.

Ms. O’Hagan said the dog, which was wearing a collar but was unattended, had been hanging around their Creggan Heights home for most of the day.

Despite efforts to chase it, the dog wouldn’t budge, and eventually turned on one of the local children.

“I told the children to stay away from it,” she said. “Then my wee boy [Riley] was out the back playing on the swings and he went to climb over the fence and the dog jumped up and grabbed him by the ear.

"It bit right through his ear and ripped the back of his ear. He had to get surgery to get it all cleaned out and sewn back together. The blood was running down and I had to change him before I took him to the hospital.”

Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed it was aware of the alleged incident and was investigating.