Dog attacks animal-loving boy

A 13-year-old boy nearly lost his lower lip when a stray dog mauled him in Buncrana. Ryan McDaid spent four days in hospital receiving cosmetic surgery after a mongrel suddenly turned nasty on him last week. The attack happened at Crana Crescent in the town when Ryan was visiting a friend’s house. Ryan said: “One minute we were feeding the dog, the next all I saw were jaws coming towards me. “At first I didn’t realise I’d been mauled. I was in shock. “Then I saw there was blood everywhere.” Ryan, who lives at the Meadows, was immediately taken to a doctor’s surgery and given a tetanus jab. He was then taken to Letterkenny general hospital. Staff at Letterkenny thought the injuries were serious enough to merit specialist treatment at the children’s hospital in Crumlin in Dublin. The council dog warden was on the scene in 20 minutes and removed the dog. It was humanely destroyed later by a vet. Ryan, who is a student at Buncrana tech, said: “It was very painful. I had to have pain-killing injections every six hours. I was put on a drip with antibiotics. “I felt sick all the time. Eating anything was a struggle and I had to drink through a straw. The nurses were fantastic, though.” Ryan’s mum Julie said: “Being away from home for four days – without any notice – was a terrible ordeal. “We’ were just put in a taxi and shunted off to Dublin. The nurses were too busy to tell us what was going on. Surely this type of medical service should be available closer to home. “There seem to be an awful lot of strays around Buncrana. This problem must be addressed. I’d encourage owners to have their dogs neutered. “Apparently, the dog that attacked my son appeared placid. It was an oldish dog that wagged its tail a lot – but it turned all of a sudden. Parents should warn their kids to be wary of strays. “It has been traumatic for the whole family but at least it hasn’t spoilt Ryan’s good looks.” Ryan will have his stitches out today. He has to return to Crumlin hospital on October 8 for a check-up. He enjoys metalwork and is a keen Arsenal fan. His family are all animal lovers and look after a pet dog and six cats. Ryan said: “I know it’s policy for animals that attack people to be put down but I still feel sorry for the dog. The attack has made me very wary of other dogs.”