‘I panicked’: Owner of dog that mauled Adelaide boy speaks out

“He was eating something when the kids ran up to him, and that just sparked him,” the man explained after a three-year-old was left with his face bitten and bloody.

Adelaide dog owner Jeb Stubberfield has broken his silence in the days after his dog, Buddy, mauled a three-year-old boy at a public playground on Wednesday.

“I’m totally sorry… Obviously I’ve got to deal with the repercussions of it all… hopefully it turns out all right.. for the child,” he told 7News.

He explained that the dog had been eating something when Ismael Hafiz and another child approached him.

“The kids ran up to him as he was eating something off the ground and that sparked him,” Jeb said.

“Animals are animals unfortunately, and if you can understand what they are feeling… I think you will probably understand that.”

When asked why he left the playground immediately after the attack he said, “I panicked, I just panicked.”

At 4pm on Wednesday, Ismael and his little brother were on a playground next to Pennington Primary School when they approached the small dog which was off-lead.

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Ismael Hafiz was left bloodied and bitten after a small dog attacked him in an Adelaide playground. Photo: Advertiser

Toddler attached by off-lead dog in Adelaide playground

The dog “jumped at Ismael and knocked him over”, the boy’s father, Bassam, told The Advertiser.

“There’s a loose dog basically, and it’s taken a chunk… bitten my son across his face,” Bassam said.

Paramedics treated three-year-old Ismael before he was rushed to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital with his mum.

It’s unclear what the breed of dog was or where it came from, and it's understood the owner quickly fled the scene after the incident. 

RELATED: Girl’s severe injuries after dog attack

On the day of the attack, Bassam received a panicked phone call from Isamel’s mum. 

“I got a phone call from his mother crying, saying, ‘Your son has been bitten,’” he recalled. 

RELATED: How to respond when a dog attacks

Dad Bassam says Ismael won't leave his side since the dog attack. Photo: Advertiser

“I thought it was something small, and then she sent me a photo of his whole face full of blood and I panicked.” 

Since the attack, three-year-old Ismael hasn’t been able to leave his father’s side, shaken with fear after the dog’s vicious attack.

“I still am pretty upset,” Bassam said. “If you look, it’s half of his face and he is only a child … he has his future ahead of him.” 

RELATED: 'He mauled my son's face': Boy, 6, injured in dog attack

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Boy afraid of dogs after park attack

A spokesperson for Charles Sturt Council confirmed an investigation into the incident had been launched with the South Australia Police. 

“The dog is reported to be a small breed, and injuries to the child are reported to be lacerations to the cheek,” they told The Advertiser. “The person responsible for the dog left the scene with the dog before SAPOL arrived.” 

As a former pet owner himself, Bassam is furious the owner of the dog refused to take responsibility after attacking the toddler. 

“How could you just run off [from] … a small child like [Ismael]?” He asked. “I don’t know what to say to the owner, honestly.”

Originally published as ‘I panicked’: Owner of dog that mauled Adelaide boy speaks out