A girl's life changed forever after she was 'mauled' by a dangerous dog three years ago. Luna-Ann Forsyth, then four, was bitten in the face, pulled to the ground and hovered over by a large dog in Stockingford.

Years after the horrifying incident, the dog's owner, Emma Callaghan of Tryan Road, was sentenced after being found guilty of being the owner in charge of [a dog ](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/dogs)dangerously out of control, causing injury. The [trial ](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/crime/)took place at Warwick Crown Court yesterday (March 12).

The court heard that Miss Callaghan's dog, Junior, had got out of a room he was locked in and 'jumped' on the little girl who was visiting the house with her mum Amy and her younger brother. They had been shopping in the town centre together [CoventryTelegraph ](https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/young-girls-life-changed-forever-33582154)reports.

His Honour Judge Matthew Walsh KC told her: "On August 6, 2023 your dog Junior changed a four-year-old girl's life.

"Junior launched an unprovoked, sudden, terrifying and vicious attack on Luna-Ann and he effectively mauled her," Judge Walsh said.

"He jumped up and he grabbed her face with his mouth and she screamed and he pulled her to the ground and stood over her and she was screaming again. Miss Hobson (her mother) starting kicking the dog to get it off her.

"She was screaming for Emma to come and get it off. She kicked him again and he let go.

"In other words released his jaws. Emma got him out of the room.

"Luna-Ann's face was covered in blood with a big gash on her cheek and Miss Hobson said that she could see into her mouth and there were puncture wounds and she was given bed sheets to try to stem the blood."

The little girl was rushed to the George Eliot Hospital and then taken to the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire via ambulance. He described the injuries she suffered as 'horrific' and explained that since that time, the now seven year-old has undergone two surgeries on her cheek, and faces another.

"It has changed Luna-Ann, she has been traumatised, she struggles to sleep," the Judge said. "She felt unsafe living where she was at the time and had to cross the road to avoid being near the location, it petrified her.

"They have had to move away from Nuneaton. Luna-Ann is still scared of dogs and she is worried about the differences that will be perceived in her appearance by other children as she starts her way through primary [school](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/schools)."

Her mother, Amy Hobson, read out a statement in court, in which she described what happened when she got to her former friend's house.

"Things took a sickening a life-changing turn, this was the moment that changed Luna's life forever," the 35-year-old said.

She said that her daughter's face has been left 'severely disfigured'.

"This vicious and brutal dog attack has left my daughter traumatised," the mum-of-five said. "She no longer sleeps at night and continues to struggle with sleep due to nightmares and waking up screaming 'Get him off me', 'stop' and just that heart-wrenching scream when it first happened.

  
"Luna used to be a very confident little girl, some would say more confident of most her age. Now she is a shadow of who she used to be."

She said that she was worried about starting school. "She is adamant that she will be bullied for the way her face looks now even though she is, and I always tell her, how beautiful she is.

"When Luna started school and still now, she has children looking at her and asking her questions about her face. which upsets her a lot as it is a constant reminder about what happened on that dreadful day."

Miss Hobson, who has backed national campaigns against dangerous dogs, added that the whole family will 'never forget' what happened and she herself has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

"She asks all the time 'why did he bite?', 'why did he get me'," she said, adding that her behaviour had deteriorated due to trauma, ongoing lack of sleep and fear.

The mother-of-five said the family face extra stress due to ongoing hospital appointments in terms of travel and expense.

"This ordeal has impacted my mental health watching my daughter be mauled by a dog but also the thought that she wasn't going to survive, I wished it was me, I also think of the what ifs and what nots, it is just overwhelming."

She added that the family has not received an apology over the incident. "I am also worried how this will continue impact Luna when she is older, we all know how society is and she will want and need further cosmetics to help her deal with the permanent scarring to her face."

The court was told that Miss Callaghan has mental health difficulties, including bi-polar, and the Judge explained that he had guidelines to take into consideration because of this.

"This was a serious injury to Luna-Ann and has caused psychological harm to her (Luna) as well," the Judge told her.

"Where it has been disputed is the questions to your culpability and I have concluded that it falls into lesser culpability. I was considering the evidence that you had locked Junior in a room knowing that he had a tendency to be able to release the door mechanism.

"But there is no evidence about Junior's previous tendencies to be aggressive or attack anyone. It seems to me to be an unsafe conclusion for me to reach that you put him in that room because of such a risk known only to you and your partner.

Girl, 4, is forever 'traumatised' after being 'mauled' by dangerous dog - Nuneaton Warwickshire England April 6, 2023