A mother screamed ‘my baby’s dead’ after her 10-year-old daughter was mauled to death by their XL bully.
The pet dog attacked her inside the family’s static caravan in the Malton are of North Yorkshire just after 4pm on Friday.
A neighbour from the next door caravan site rushed inside to help the girl while a relative locked the dog inside a car before it was seized and taken to a kennel where it remains.
The girl, described as a ‘beautiful and intelligent’ schoolgirl, was declared dead on the scene. The dog will be put down, police said on Sunday.
The family’s only child, she had only moved there during the summer, according to locals who said told MailOnline the dog is an XL Bully.
One local farmer, who asked not to be named, said the ‘really polite’ girl ‘was a lovely little lass who you would see riding her bike around’.
He said: ‘The mother ran out from the static caravan screaming ‘my baby’s dead.’ Some people from the caravan site went over to help. She was obviously really distraught.
‘The police got here very fast, there were two helicopters, ambulances turned up and an armed response unit. Someone put the dog in a car apparently.’
He added: ‘The dog is an XL bully. It has been certified and is well looked after. It’s a very big dog.
‘I’ve seen it around the pub a few times, it doesn’t bother anyone or other dogs and is well-behaved.’
Another man, who was in a pub beside the caravan site at the time, said: ‘t’s terrible. I have a son aged 11 of about the same age who knew her. I’ve not told him yet. She was a really beautiful little girl and very intelligent for her age.’
A caravan site official said: ‘We knew they had an XL bully dog. We only knew [the girl] because her mum had asked if she could play in the park and we said ‘Of course she can’.
‘[The girl] told us she had a new dog. It was not that long ago. We used to come onto the park and play with the other children.
‘I have never seen or heard the dog and I am here every day. [The girl] had said herself ‘We have got a new pet’.
‘Other children who played with [the girl] in the yard said it was family pet.
‘The static caravan arrived during the summer in a field next to the Snooty Fox caravan park outside the village of East Heslerton.’
Although locals have said the dog is an XL bully, police are yet to confirm whether it is the banned breed.
Ownership has been restricted since 1991, but after rising concerns due to its involvement in numerous fatal attacks, it was made a criminal offence to own one without an exemption certificate in February.
Police are investigating why the dog attacked the girl, who is understood to have had what police describe as a ‘close, loving relationship with the dog’.
They said ‘all indications so far suggest it was out-of-character’.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: ‘Our thoughts remain with the girl’s family and friends at this very distressing time. Officers are supporting the family while enquiries continue.
‘We also urge people not to speculate about the incident, respect the family’s privacy and allow them to grieve in peace.
‘We will provide more information when we are able to.’
