Ace Elson recovering in hospital after Widgee dog attack

A dad whose four-year-old son’s ear was torn off and his face disfigured by a dog has recounted the terrifying attack and told why he won’t call for the culprit to be killed. Photos, video. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

The family of a Gympie boy, who was brutally mauled by a dog at a birthday party, has revealed they will not make a complaint to the council or call for the animal to be destroyed.

It comes as shocking images and video showing the extent of little Ace Elson’s injuries, including his now reattached ear, emerge.

The bloodied four-year-old was flown to Brisbane on Sunday, April 24, with “significant” facial injuries, after he was attacked by a dog that was tied up at a Widgee property.

But despite the severity of Ace’s injuries, his father, Luke Elson told the Gympie Times on Wednesday he did not believe it was his place to decide whether the culprit lived or died.

“They’re our friends, the owners of the dog,” Mr Elson said.

“I’ve kept them updated through the whole thing. They’re so upset about (what happened to Ace).

Ace Elson, four, was rushed to the Queensland Children’s Hospital on Sunday after he was attacked by a dog at Widgee. Photo: Contributed

“I’ve just left it up to them to decide what they’re going to do.”

Mr Elson said he also did not want what happened to Ace to impact the two families’ friendship.

He could not confirm the breed, but described it as a “fully grown big dog”, no older than two-years-old, and said it “could have been a Bull Arab”.

The dog was unfamiliar to Mr Elson and his family, but was living with children approximately the same age as Ace and his siblings, he said.

He recounted what happened that afternoon, including the moment he thought his son was going to die.

The dog had bitten Ace on the hand and then, in Ace’s words, “bit his face and shook him around”.

“He just wanted to pat the dog,” Mr Elson said.

It was reported no one saw the attack happen, but Ace was spotted walking back towards his father covered in blood.

“I was just with Ace moments before it happened, and he’s just wandered off,” he said.

Mr Elson said what happened next was “a blur”, but he remembered sitting with Ace in the back seat of a car while rushing back towards town.

“We left the house in a car, I don’t know whose car or who it was, someone drove me. I had Ace in the back … I was trying to keep him calm and make sure he was alive,” he said.

*WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT* Ace Elson, four, nearly lost his left ear during the freak dog attack at Widgee. Photo: Luke Elson

He said his son’s ear was not attached to his head as they travelled into town.

They intercepted an ambulance and a rescue helicopter was called to rush him to the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

There, he underwent surgery, and he remains at the hospital with his mother while he recovers.

On Monday, Mr Elson took to Facebook to update the community on his son’s condition.

He said the surgery had gone well and his little man was back to his “chatty self” and already joking about how he would beat his brothers at BMX riding.

“We just want to let you all know he is doing well,” he wrote on social media.

“He came out of surgery early this morning and the surgeon had only positive news to tell us, which was great. We are blessed enough to have our boy in the best care at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

“I just want to thank everyone for all your love and support, and to everyone that has helped us so far thank you so much. We love you all.”

He told the Gympie Times on Wednesday Ace was still in severe pain, but he was going to be okay, physically.

However, it was clear Ace was traumatised.

Ace Elson remains in the Queensland Children’s Hospital with his mother as he recovers from the attack. Photo: Luke Elson.

“He’s having nightmares about the incident. It was really hard for my wife and I to listen to,” he said.

“It’s just a bit of a journey we’ve got ahead of us now.”

As well as Ace’s journey to recovery, the family have faced critical comments on social media regarding the incident.

Mr Elson said the negative response to such a traumatic event made him “angry”.

“They’re not fair, the comments. They’re vicious, really,” he said.

“They should put themselves in someone else’s position … these things happen in the blink of an eye.

“I don’t want anyone to go through this … I would take that dog bite in a heartbeat if I had the chance.”

A GoFundMe, started by Mrs Elson’s cousin, Kris Burford, has raised $13,894 in two days.

The fundraiser has a goal of $15,000 and would help the couple focus on Ace and their three other children, a post on the page read.

Mr Elson said it was possible Ace could be back home in Gympie in the next day or two, but only time would tell.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said they had received a call about the incident at 1.52pm and that the boy had sustained “significant facial injuries”.

The rescue chopper was tasked just after 2pm.

The Sunshine Coast-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter flew Ace Elson to Brisbane after he was attacked by a dog on Sunday afternoon.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the dog attack had been referred to the Gympie Regional council.

However, when the Gympie Times reached out to the council a spokeswoman confirmed a complaint had not been made.

In November, an eight-year-old boy in Southside, also in the Gympie region, was mauled by a dog.

The attack, which left the boy with serious injuries to his neck, just missed a vital vein.

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