NEWS: Mother issues warnings after daughter attacked by dog off leash at Witton Lakes

Words by Jake Morgan / Pics from Erdington Local archive

A local mother has made public warnings about a dog and their owner after her daughter was attacked by the animal earlier this week at Witton Lakes, suffering bites and scratches to her face and neck.

At 2:15pm on Tuesday 2 April, the young girl was playing with friends on the grass at the popular Perry Common/Erdington parkland when what is believed to be a French bulldog approached her.

After trying to ward away the animal, which was off the lead, she was attacked by the dog as it leapt up, scratched her neck, and bit her lip.

The girl’s mother, Lisa Brown, told how the dog’s owner reportedly quipped “he smells fear” as the reason for the attack and did not enquire about the young girl’s condition.

After tending to her daughter’s injuries, the she then reported the owner and dog to West Midlands Police before posting a warning to others on social media.

Lisa Brown said: “My daughter got attacked by a dog which was a Frenchie beige colour in Witton Lakes.

“She was sitting on the grass with a friend and the dog come up to her jumping up her she tried to push the dog away but the dog scratched all her neck and bites her lip.

Lisa added: “All the owner said was he smells your fear not a sorry made sure my daughter was ok nothing. The owner couldn’t control the dog which was off the leash. He was an older guy with an accent. I’ve reported it to the police but please be aware if you walk in this park.

“My daughter is 12, she was in a public place and should have been safe.”

Lisa’s post sparked a massive reaction on social media with nearly 100 comments made on her Nextdoor post alone at the time of writing. Many people rushed to wish her daughter a speedy recovery, as other parents revealed their fears about dangerous dogs in Erdington’s parks.

Shahnaz Miah said: “This is why I don’t go to parks, it does not happen every day but it just takes that one occasion doesn’t it? Your poor daughter, I hope she is OK. All I have is curses for these dog owners.”

Whyhad Hussain said: “The problem with some of these idiots who walk with their dogs off the lead. Many times I have been down Witton Lakes and their dogs off their lead. I am sure by law they are supposed to be on a lead.”

Anita Kumar said: “I hope the police find the owner he should be ashamed of himself and the dog should not be let off lead if he can’t control himself.”

Solomon Harris said: “Irresponsible dog owners, shouldn’t be allowed to have dogs. If a dog is scratching and biting her of course she will be scared. Let someone attack him and then say, I can smell your fear!

Mike Medlam added: “Ban the frenchies. Rule for one and another rule for the other. Muzzle them up… I bet that won’t happen will it.”

Deaths by dog attack in England and Wales have risen dramatically over the last few years, with the Office of National Statistics reporting 16 fatalities in 2023 – as opposed to five in 2021 and two in 2019.

The American Bully breed has been found to be responsible for around 50% of the fatal dog attacks in the UK from 2021 and 2023, resulting in a ban on breeding the animal and legislation requiring existing owners to obtain an official exemption from the courts.

Previously, breeds including the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and the Fila Brasileiro were also made illegal to own without a court order – following the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and its subsequent amendments in 1997.

However, campaigners and dog lovers the UK have constantly challenged the increase in laws around dogs – with many arguing it is the irresponsible owners and not the breed that make certain dogs a danger to humans.

West Midlands Police have been approached for a comment regarding the attack in Witton Lakes.

NEWS: Business is pawsitivley booming for Erdington Pet Centre

Words by Keat Moore / Pics by Keat Moore and Ed King

Erdington Pet Centre has been catering to the needs of Erdington’s pet lovers for the past 10 years and has continued to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erdington Local went to find out more about the store and what affect the lockdown has had on their business.

Erdington Pet Centre / Ed King

We’ve actually got busier,” says owner Paul Beresford, “when it started, we had lots of people panic buying and we were really busy. But after a little while it quietened down, and we’ve managed to keep that busier pace.”  

On the list businesses exempt from lockdown restrictions, pet stores have been kept open across the UK – providing the food, medicine, and exercise essentials for thousands of furry friends. But at Erdington Pet Centre, the stay at home message has some seen some unexpected increases in sales.

We’ve sold an awful lot of fish tanks and we’ve seen an upturn in wild birdseed as well,” explains Mr Beresford, “which I think is due to people looking for new hobbies whilst at home and spending more time in their gardens.”

Paul Beresford - Erdington Pet Centre / Keat MooreCompared to most of the shops on the High Street, Erdington Pet Centre is one of the few without a queue – which Mr Beresford says has helped bring in new customers: “We’re seeing a lot of new faces, sometimes from out of the area, so we’ve got no complaints.”

He has also found the Government’s support for small businesses to be especially useful during the lockdown, “the Government has helped us tremendously, especially the reduction in business rates and the small business grants – they’ve been a big help.” 

But Mr Beresford says he’s been surprised at just how many people are still out shopping: “I have another shop in Wolverhampton, which I’ve actually closed as it was the opposite to here – there’s no one around in Wolves town centre, it’s dead.” 

Erdington Pet Centre / Ed KingThe busyness of Erdington High Street has been an area of concern for both the police and the community; Birmingham City Council recently implemented new road markings and erected barriers to widen the footpaths and help enforce physical distancing guidelines.

But at Erdington Pet Centre, Mr Beresford doesn’t see it being too much of a problem, “I think there’s possibly more people about in Erdington than needs to be. But on the whole, I think they’re being sensible and respecting social distancing.”   

Erdington Pet Centre can be found at 117 High Street, Erdington. Its trading hours, including during lockdown, are between 9.00 am to 5.00 pm – Monday to Saturday. To contact Erdington Pet Centre, telephone: (0121) 373 1323