A mum recalls the moment her in-laws’ dog attacked her children after appearing to “see red”. One person remained hospitalized.
The incident occurred in Woodchurch around 11:40 PM. Emma and her kids stayed there on weekends. Her older kids slept on the sofa bed. Her four-year-old woke up and joined Emma. She sat in a gaming chair located in the kitchen.
The dog was protective of Emma. It growled when her son sat with her. Her father-in-law, Gary, told the dog off. It nipped Gary’s hand. Her mother-in-law, Joanne, asked what had happened. The dog then attacked Gary’s leg.
Emma quickly moved her children to safety. She wheeled them to the back porch. Then she called the police immediately. The dog then attacked her mother-in-law. Gary went upstairs to get away.
Joanne tried to stop the dog’s attack. It dragged her on the floor. Emma called the police while this occurred. Liverpool Echo reported these details. Police thought children played hide and seek.
Emma said that wasn’t true. She felt helpless for Joanne. Her focus was saving her children. Police told Joanne to release Bruno. She feared he would attack again. Joanne let go of the dog.
Police used a taser on Bruno because it kept attacking. It still tried to attack Joanne again. They tasered him a second time. Bruno ran outside. They shut the door after it. More police arrived at the house. They talked to Emma’s kids.
Emma lives in Liverpool. She said her children were traumatized. The youngest woke up during the attack. Emma worried her mother-in-law would die. It looked like Joanne had been stabbed.
Joanne, 44, and Gary, 43, rescued Bruno. They thought it was a staffy. They had him for eight weeks. Emma now doubts Bruno’s breed. A post-mortem exam will determine the breed.
Emma said Bruno turned suddenly. He was a lovely dog at first. They thought he was a Staffy breed. The attack severely injured Joanne. She required surgery in the hospital.
Emma said the attack was terrifying. Joanne got bitten sixty times. Gary had a chunk taken from his leg. Joanne is in bad shape in the hospital. Today she needs surgery again.
Emma is thankful her kids weren’t hurt. They were shaken by what happened. Her youngest fears for his grandmother’s life. The family thought Bruno was good with children. The aggression appeared jealousy-based.
Emma thinks Bruno was jealous of her son. Gary scolded him, so Bruno got angry. The dog tasted blood and didn’t stop. Even though he usually listened, he ignored Emma.
Emma thinks she saved everyone. She acted quickly and called police. Without her, things would have been worse.
Police provided an update after the event. One person left the hospital already. One person remains hospitalized currently. The dog was put down humanely. Police did note the dog’s official breed.