Bradford: Toddler needed brain surgery after pet attack
- Published
The toddler was "mauled" by a German Shepherd bitch which had recently given birth to puppies, Bradford Crown Court was told
The mother of a neglected toddler who needed "life-saving emergency brain surgery" after being mauled by the family dog has been jailed.
The woman failed to call 999 for eight minutes after the 2018 attack in Bradford, the city's crown court heard.
Her former partner had left the two-year-old girl alone with the dog despite an earlier warning not to.
The woman admitted two child cruelty charges and was jailed for 18 months. Her ex was jailed for a year.
He admitted being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control, causing injury to the child.
The court heard how a family key worker had previously warned the mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the youngster, not to leave their two dogs alone with the children.
But, on the day of the attack, the child was mauled by the German Shepherd bitch after being left unattended downstairs by the man.
Prosecutor John Hobley said the youngster was rushed to hospital where she needed significant brain surgery to save her life.
'Failed to protect'
A further examination revealed bruising to her shoulders, back, legs and arms which an expert concluded were unlikely to have been caused in the dog attack.
The police officers who attended at the house found it was unclean and messy with an overpowering smell of urine.
The couple were also found to have taken cocaine and amphetamine, and Mr Hobley said they had been exercising their parental responsibilities with drugs in their system.
A paediatrician had also concluded the young girl had been subjected to "severe neglect" before the dog attack.
The dog was destroyed after the attack, the court heard.
Passing sentence, Recorder Patrick Palmer said: "You failed to stay with [the child] when there were those dogs in the house and you failed to protect her from them.
"Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate imprisonment."
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