Mother, 22, is fined £500 after her boyfriend’s XL Bully called Rambo escapes from her home and mauled little girl, seven, in savage attack

• Holly Dodd, 22, was looking after her boyfriend’s XL Bully when it ran past her
• The dog escaped the house and bit a seven-year-old girl in a savage attack 

A mother-of-two has been fined £500 after her boyfriend’s XL Bully escaped from her home and mauled a seven-year-old girl in a savage attack.

Holly Dodd was in her home with her door open when her boyfriend’s XL Bully – called Rambo – suddenly ran out of the house and attacked a seven-year-old girl outside.

The 22-year-old – who had been searching for ice cream money for her child and the victim – eventually pulled the dog off the bleeding child herself, a court heard.

The child noticed blood coming through her trousers and was rushed to hospital and Dodd called the police, asking them to take Rambo away.

Rambo was later destroyed and Dodd and her partner, Jamie Cheshire, said they don’t want ‘this type of dog in the house again’ at the estate in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Holly Dodd was in her home with her door open when her boyfriend’s XL Bully – called Rambo – suddenly ran out of the house and attacked a seven-year-old girl outside

Rambo was later destroyed and Dodd and her partner, Jamie Cheshire, said they don’t want ‘this type of dog in the house again’ at the estate in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

As Dodd was in control of the dog at the time, Chester magistrates’ court has ordered her to pay £500 in compensation after she admitted to being in control of a dangerous dog which caused injury – but this will be paid by her boyfriend, the dog’s owner.

The court heard that the full-time mother to two young children had been looking after Rambo when Mr Cheshire was at work on October 10 this year.

She told the court Rambo had been around both her children ‘since he was a puppy’ and he was ‘amazing’ with them, but he was an ‘energetic’ dog.

Describing the incident as ‘one of the worst days of our lives’, Dodd said she felt ‘extremely guilty’ for what happened. 

Andrew Madden, prosecuting, said: ‘Miss Dodd’s child had been present with the victim and they attended her] address to ask for money for ice cream. 

‘[Dodd] opened the door but the dog ran out and bit the victim, causing injury.

‘Miss Dodd did attempt to pull the dog off the victim and she was eventually successful. The victim noticed that blood was seeping through the back of her pants. A woman attended the address to take the complainant to hospital.

‘In fairness to Miss Dodd, it would appear that she has called the police to report the incident and she was later interviewed in relation to this matter. 

‘In an interview, she said she was in control of the dog Rambo, and confirmed that Rambo ran out of the address and attacked the [child], causing the injuries. I understand the dog has already been destroyed by the police.’

In a letter read to the court, Dodd said: ‘Rambo has been around both children since he was a puppy and he was amazing with both of them. 

The court heard that the full-time mother to two young children had been looking after Rambo when Mr Cheshire was at work on October 10 this year when the dog attacked the child

She told the court Rambo had been around both her children ‘since he was a puppy’ and he was ‘amazing’ with them, but he was an ‘energetic’ dog. She said she felt ‘extremely guilty’ 

‘Rambo is a big dog for his age and being a puppy was still very energetic. The day Rambo bit the girl my partner was working. It turned out to be one of the worst days of our lives.

‘We rang the police, asking them to take our dog and best friend, knowing what would happen to him. It has broken our hearts as a family but we have wanted to do the right thing and be responsible.

READ MORE – What IS an XL Bully? Government releases official definition

‘I am truly sorry, I feel extremely guilty for what happened. It was a genuine accident. 

‘Rambo is a very big dog and I am a petite girl. It just ran past me. I am just a young mum trying my best and trying to do the right thing.’

Dodd’s solicitor Michael Gray said: ‘When the incident took place, she called police three times to try and report the matter and get the police to come out and talk to her about what had happened. 

‘Police did eventually come but only after the third call.

‘She took steps to report the matter to the police straight away and it took some perseverance. The dog was not her dog but belongs to the gentleman at the back of the court, Jamie Cheshire.

‘She was looking after the dog while Mr Cheshire was at work.

‘When Miss Dodd went to the police station she explained everything that happened. 

‘In particular, she described that an ice cream van had come on the road. The child knocked on the door, and she was organising getting some money for her child to go and buy some ice cream. As she did, she was distracted and the young XL Bully got out.

‘It’s a big dog, notorious for being a dangerous breed and bolted out of the house. It went through Miss Dodd’s legs and went into the street and bit the child. Miss Dodd was horrified as she told police in interview.

‘Up until this incident the dog had been fine. But of course, this is a young dog, getting bigger and bigger each day. There is now no dog in the house, she has no intention of replacing the dog with an XL Bully.

‘The impact has been traumatic. This is a friend of the family and the child that has been hurt is a friend. It caused her some serious trauma herself. She is deeply remorseful and upset about what this dog has done whilst in her charge.

‘It is a tragic situation, there was no intention for this to happen. Arguably, it was not foreseeable that this would happen in this way. 

‘The dog has been destroyed. There will be no repeat of this incident. The defendant has made clear that she does not want this type of dog in her house again and that is echoed by Mr Cheshire.’

Sentencing Dodd, JP Kenneth Baird told her: ‘It could have been a very much more serious matter but you have acted responsibly after the event.’

The attack comes after the government announced XL Bully dogs will be banned from the end of this year following a spate of savage attacks.

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