Lacey-Marie Smith was helping at her grandad's allotment when the dog, believed a Collie-cross breed, bit her face in a terrifying attack
Lacey required a two-hour operation after she was bitten in the face
A little girl spent her sixth birthday in hospital after a dog savaged her face while she was helping out at her grandad's allotment.
Lacey-Marie Smith needed a two-hour operation after the dog, believed to be a Collie-cross breed, sank its teeth into her head and tried to drag her to the ground.
Now her mum Sian Davis is calling for the dog to be destroyed.
"I am devastated," said Sian, of Matson, Gloucester.
"My daughter woke up in hospital on her sixth birthday scarred for life."
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"It was a totally unprovoked attack and if it had been a little bit lower Lacey would have lost her eyesight.
"She should be in school celebrating her birthday with friends, not recovering from surgery.
"She's a lovely little girl and has been really brave but I think it's going to take a long time to get over this. I actually feel like killing the dog myself."
Lacey was pottering around her grandfather David's allotment on Askwith Road, Saintbridge, Gloucester with her dad Nathan when the attack happened on Sunday.
Nathan beat the dog away and rushed Lacey, who was covered in blood, to hospital where she was so shocked she needed oxygen.
After a team of specialist surgeons assessed the damage they decided to operate and, she spent two hours under the knife on Monday.
Doctors allowed her home yesterday so she could enjoy the rest of her birthday.
Grandfather David, 49, who started working on the the allotment to reduce his stress levels after he had heart surgery, has been left distraught by what happened.
"It's killing me to think I didn't know and I didn't get there quick enough to stop it," he said tearfully.
"It was a really nasty attack which happened within a click of a finger."
"It wasn't just a little cut, it went to the bone. It's horrible to think she will be scarred for life.
He added: "I understand how much people love their dogs.
"I have an eight-and-a-half stone French Mastiff which I really, really love but if it attacked a child I would have him put to sleep, no matter how much it broke my heart to do so,
"Once they have drawn blood it shows they are that way inclined and you can't take the risk of it happening again to somebody else.
"I'm 100 per cent sure that that dog will attack again and I cannot understand how somebody could take that risk after seeing what happened to Lacey."
Police are investigating the incident and say they have traced the dog and its owner.
The man is set to be interviewed under caution and could face sanctions under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
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