‘The dog tore the face off him,’ says father of boy, 8, attacked by dog in Limerick

Mr Flynn said the death of 23-year-old Nicole Morey, who was mauled to death by her dogs last Tuesday night, prompted him to go public about the dog attack on his son, and to warn the public to be vigilant of any type of dog.

Mr Flynn said the dog that attacked his son was not a large dog, nor one that appeared to be on any restrictive breed lists.

However, he warned the terrier-type dog caused serious damage to his son’s face and the attack has “traumatised” him as well and his six-year-old sister who also witnessed the attack in the People’s Park in Limerick city.

“We love going to the People’s Park, it’s great, the staff there and the park rangers are brilliant, and my young lad loved dogs and he always asked to pet a dog in the park, and he would give them a fast rub and let the dog lick his face,” Mr Flynn explained.

However, the family’s afternoon stroll in the park turned into a nightmare when the dog latched onto the boy’s face when he tried to pet the animal.

“There was a black terrier type of dog, some mad mixed breed, and my son went over and put his hand down to rub the dog. The dog was sitting down without a leash, with his tongue hanging out, and he (my son) went to rub the dog and the dog just locked onto his face.

The dog tore the face off him. I’m not a religious person but I’m still thankful because if the dog got him (my son) in the neck and hit a vital vein, he might have bled out. 

Jackson underwent reconstructive facial surgery at University Hospital Limerick after the attack.

“When I had him (my son) cuddled into my hip and had his bite covered with a jumper, the dog started going for other people, and screaming at other dogs,” Mr Flynn said.

“The dog was going for everybody, barking and screaming. The dog bit him, and locked onto him, and then the dog let go and ran off.

“We got an awful fright, it was so traumatic, my daughter was screaming, my kids don't ever want to look at a dog again.” 

Mr Flynn said the park staff had said there was an ongoing issue with people not keeping their dogs on a leash.