Toddler‘s ear surgically reattached after ferocious dog attack

A TODDLER who needed his ear surgically reattached after a vicious and prolonged dog attack in country Victoria is the latest victim in a string of child dog maulings across the country.

Zane’s mum Jamie Maclean fears her son would’ve been mauled to death if she hadn’t intervened. Picture: Jason Edwards

EACH morning this week Zane Knight has woken from a night of bad dreams, with his first instinct to pull off the helmet of bandages keeping his ear intact.

The two-year-old was visiting family in Maryborough when he was attacked by a Jack Russell-cross in the front yard of the home last Monday.

Zane had his ear surgically reattached at the Royal Children’s Hospital on Tuesday last week. He is one of the latest victims in a string of child dog maulings across the country.

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A three-year-old Newcastle boy also had his ear surgically reattached after an attack by a Great Dane last Tuesday.

A one-year-old girl died last Saturday in New South Wales when a rottweiler set upon the infant in her pram.

Zane Knight at the Royal Children’s Hospital Picture: Jason Edwards

A 10-year-old girl who was attacked by the family South African boerboel just over a week ago at her Berwick home has since been discharged from the RCH.

Zane’s mum Jamie Maclean said her teenage daughter, who was next to Zane at the time of the incident, tried to scoop up the boy during the minute-long attack but the dog kept launching himself at the child.

After first hanging off Zane’s ear, the dog bit the boy multiple times in and around his eye.

“Because the dog kept going him, if I hadn’t of been there I think he would have been mauled to death,” Ms Maclean said.

“As the specialist said; they can give him hearing, but if the dog had taken his eye out they can’t give him sight back.”

A net bandage is helping keep his wounds together, and away from the toddler’s prying fingers, until mother and son return to the RCH this week.

“I just wish he has a speedy recovery and no more bad dreams,” she said.

Central Goldfields Shire general manager of corporate and community services, Venkat Peteti said the dog involved in Zane’s attack had been seized and an investigation was ongoing.

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