British boy attacked by dog in Lancashire — owner called it a “mistake”

08 June 2025 , 19:46

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British boy attacked by dog in Lancashire — owner called it a “mistake”

A five-year-old boy who ended up in the hospital after being attacked by a ’pocket bully’ has been blamed for the incident.

Four-year-old Antonio Quinn required a three-hour operation to have his face stitched back together after the brutal attack left him covered in blood.

However, the dog’s owner has now blamed the child for the event, claiming his ’teddy bear’ pet, named Harry, was merely protecting his home.

Antonio’s mother Amanda Holmes, 34, said her son was fortunate to be alive, but dog owner Aaron Eccles stated the child should not have entered his home and that the attack was a ’genuine mistake.’

Mr. Eccles said that dogs do not distinguish between an adult and a child when they perceive someone as a burglar, adding that Harry had even given Antonio a ’warning bite.’

Harry was subsequently seized along with a Staffordshire bull terrier by 20 officers who arrived at the property in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.

Aaron Eccles has defended his dog (Picture: Facebook)

Mr. Eccles accused police of antagonizing his dog by using pepper spray on him, MailOnline reports.

The dog owner said he refused an offer from officers to have his pets euthanized and was now awaiting the results of an assessment that will determine whether they are safe to be returned home.

Antonio was reportedly playing outside with Mr. Eccles’s partner’s son and was going in to get a drink when he was attacked by the dog.

He was injured on the chin, cheeks, and thigh before a neighbor’s intervention prevented the incident from further escalating.

The child was then rushed to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for treatment.

Antonio was rushed to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital with injuries on his chin, cheeks, and thigh (Picture: Amanda Holmes/SWNS)

Ms. Holmes said the scene was ’like something out of a horror film,’ but despite enduring a lot of pain, Antonio was doing well.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: ’We were called shortly after 1:30 pm on May 26 following reports that a child had been bitten by a dog on Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle.

’The child, a four-year-old boy, was taken to the hospital with injuries to his leg and face. Thankfully, those injuries are not life-threatening.

Harry the dog has been seized by police (Picture: Facebook)

’Two dogs have been seized by police – a Staffordshire Bull Terrier type and a Pocket Bully type, and the dog owner has been identified and will be spoken to in due course.

’We know this may be concerning to hear about, but we want to reassure you that inquiries are ongoing into the incident, and we are asking for your help to assist those inquiries.

’We are particularly interested in viewing any CCTV footage of the area that may have captured the incident.’

Anyone with footage or information should call 101 quoting log 0603 of May 26.

Henry Morgan