Mum says her daughter’s screams will ‘haunt’ her after a five-year-old little girl was mauled by a Pocket Bully outside a Nisa store – forcing her to have surgery after she ‘wrecked her face off’

The mother of a five-year-old girl who was mauled by a Pocket Bully Dog that “ripped her face off,” said her daughter’s screams will “haunt” her.

Farrah-Leigh Nichol, five, had gone to pet the Pocket Bully after seeking permission from the owner near a Nisa store in Teesside around 6.30pm on Saturday.

But when the schoolgirl patted the animal on the head, it jumped up and bit a huge chunk out of her left cheek.

Her father Alex Nichol, 30, kicked off the bully and lifted his daughter before she was rushed to hospital where she is being treated for serious facial injuries.

Farrah-Leigh’s mother Danielle Kemp, 32, and Mr Nichol are by the youngster’s side as she prepares for skin grafts.

Ms Kemp told MailOnline: ‘What I saw and the screams I heard will haunt me, she really didn’t deserve this.

But when the schoolgirl gently stroked the animal’s head, it jumped up and bit a huge chunk out of her left cheek.

She has had one surgery and is about to have two more following the horrific incident outside a Nisa store on Saturday night

Here’s the devastating injury little Farrah-Leigh Nichol suffered after being assaulted by a bully-looking dog outside a corner shop

Farrah-Leigh Nichol had gone to pet the Pocket Bully after seeking permission from the owner outside a Nisa store in Teesside around 6:30pm Saturday (pictured)

“I was cooking tea when Alex came running in with Farrah-Leigh.

“Our heads are going in all directions at the moment. My little girl has already had surgery and two more are coming up.

“She has one tomorrow morning and then another in two weeks, she has been very brave.

‘The support we’ve had from local people has been overwhelming, we can’t thank them enough.’

The family lives close to the shop on Norton Road, in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, and the youngster was accompanied by her father when the dog struck without warning.

The owner of the animal waited on site while emergency services arrived and the dog has since been euthanized.

The dog is said to have been involved in the attack on five-year-old Farrah-Leigh Nichol

The family lives close to the shop on Norton Road, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, and the youngster was accompanied by her father when the dog struck without warning

Mr. Nichol, who works as a tiler, said: ‘We had gone to the shop together and she had paid for some bread at the till.

“We came out and I pressed the button to cross the road and she said, ‘Can I pet that dog?’

“I said, ‘Yeah, but you have to ask the man first.'”

She said, “Can I pet your dog?” and he said, ‘Yes, no problem.’

She went to pet the dog on the head. She likes dogs. She stroked it very gently.

The dog jumped and she jumped back and I thought that was lucky.

“But the next moment I saw her curled up on the floor and she said, ‘Daddy.’

She was crying and her whole face was off. Her face was gone. It was just horrific.’

Her father, Alex Nichol, 30, said: ‘We have three dogs of our own (pictured Farrah-Leigh with one of the family’s dogs). We have a Staffie and two XL Bullies. But I’d like to muzzle them’

Farrah’s mother Danielle Kemp, 32, and father Alex Nichol stand by the youngster’s side as she prepares for skin grafts

Mr Nichol hurried to his daughter who was still dangerously close to the animal.

He added: “I ran to get her, but the dog was right behind her.

‘I started it up. I stamped on it. I picked up my daughter and went back home.

“She was taken to the hospital and she is stable and she has had stitches. But there is still so much to do.’

The Pocket Bully, a cross between an American Pit Bull Terrier and a Patterdale Terrier, has now been put to sleep.

Farrah-Leigh’s father, 30-year-old Nichol (pictured), said: ‘If all dogs were muzzled it would just remove the risk. If it only saved one child, it would be worth it”

It lived just down the street from the house Farrah-Leigh shares with her mother and father.

In the wake of a spate of recent dog attacks on children, Mr Nichol now believes all breeds should be muzzled.

He said, “We have three dogs of our own. We have a Staffie and two XL Bullies. But I’d like to muzzle them.

“If all dogs were muzzled, it would only remove the risk. If it saved just one kid, it would be worth it.

“Always be wary of dogs you don’t know.

“My daughter loved dogs, but this incident has clearly given her a fear factor.

Her father added, “She was crying and her whole face was off. Her face was gone. It was just horrific’

The Pocket Bully, a cross between an American Pit Bull Terrier and a Patterdale Terrier, has now been put to sleep

“We are all still in shock at the moment. We can’t believe this happened.’

Family friend Kirsty Lavender, 32, said: ‘She’s such a brave, strong girl, she’s kind, but she still needs a skin graft to improve her face.

“Her father and mother are of course very worried about her, but she has recovered very well so far.”

The incident came after it was revealed that British children had to undergo more than 1,000 surgeries last year for dog attacks, including nearly 400 cases where the child was under four years old.

The shocking figures showed that the total number of hospitalizations following dog attacks has almost doubled from 4,699 in 2007/8 to 9,336 in 2022/23.

Dr. John Tulloch, a lecturer in veterinary public health at the University of Liverpool, previously said the way Britons care for dogs needs to change.

“We know that dogs are now left alone in the house for more than seven or eight hours and they get frustrated.

‘Many dogs don’t get the exercise needs – their health needs aren’t met and so they can become more anxious and nervous.

“If you keep a dog in a horrible environment and they’re not taken care of, they’re going to have more behavior problems and are more likely to bite.”

A neighbor who lives near where this latest attack happened said, “The little girl asked to pet the dog and it just went for her.

“Her dad came right over to help and he fired up the thing to get it away from her. She did nothing to provoke it and the owner seemed happy for her to pet the dog.

“A dog this unpredictable shouldn’t have gone outside without a muzzle.”

Cleveland police said Farrah-Leigh was taken to hospital for treatment and a dog was seized.

A police spokesman said the dog’s owner remained at the scene after the attack.

“Officers arrived at the scene within minutes of the report and provided medical assistance to the girl while she waited for the ambulance,” the police spokesman added.

The girl has suffered serious facial injuries and is being treated in hospital.

The owner of the dog remained at the scene after the attack and cooperated with the police. The dog has been seized.

“We would politely ask people not to post any photos of the incident and to avoid social media speculation as officers continue their investigation.”

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson added: ‘We were called at 6.25pm ​​(on Saturday) to reports of a dog bite incident in the Norton area of ​​Stockton.

“We sent a paramedic team who treated a patient with facial injuries before he was taken to hospital.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money to send Farrah-Leigh to Disneyland with her family once she is well enough.

Shauna Lee Rollinson, 26, who created the page, said: ‘Farrah-Leigh is in my little girl’s class at school.

“She tells my daughter all the time how much she would like to go to Disneyland.

“If we can make this happen for this beautiful girl, I will cry my eyes out.

“The support so far has been excellent.”

Anyone who would like to donate to send Farrah-Leigh to Disney World as soon as she is well enough can do so here.