Pitbull 'attacks boy, four, outside Sainsbury's store'

American Bully XL Pitbull ‘attacks boy, four, outside Sainsbury’s after leaping on him in front of horrified shoppers’

• Boy allegedly attacked by XL American Bully outside store in Wolverhampton
• Onlookers claimed boy ran past the dog towards his father when it leapt at him 
• The dog is said to be an 11-month-old called Donnie owned by a homeless man
• He has apologised but denied that it had bitten the boy, saying it was a ‘graze’

A four-year-old boy was allegedly attacked by a pitbull dog outside a Sainsbury’s supermarket today.

The youngster was savaged by the hulking XL American Bully outside the store in Wolverhampton, according to shocked witnesses.

Onlookers told how the boy ran past the dog towards his father when it suddenly leapt at him this morning.

The dog is said to be an 11-month-old called Donnie owned by a homeless man, who has apologised but denied that it had bitten the boy, saying it was a ‘graze’. 

A supermarket worker said: ‘There’s a homeless man who always sits by the supermarket with his dog. It just went for the kid as he ran past.

West Midlands Police at the Sainsbury’s store in Wolverhampton today after the incident 

The homeless man outside the store apologised today but denied that the dog bit the boy

‘There were a couple of police cars, a paramedic and an ambulance here. It looked nasty. He was just a little lad and the dog was much bigger than him. He got bitten on his upper leg from what I understand.’

The dog was seized by police from outside the store just before 11.30am, and the boy was taken to hospital but his injuries were not thought to be life-changing.

Sergeant Robert Pritchard, from Wolverhampton Police, said: ‘The child was taken to hospital for treatment but his physical injuries are not believed to be life-changing and we wish him well for a speedy recovery. He must have been very frightened.

‘The dog, thought to be an American Bully XL, was seized by officers at the scene and is now being looked after in our kennels. Its breed will be confirmed as part of our investigation.

Police are investigating what happened outside the Sainsbury’s store in Wolverhampton

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called to the store to reports of a dog bite

‘We have the owner’s details and have already spoken to them. We will we will be in regular contact with them and the boy’s family.’

The dog’s owner, who remained sitting outside the supermarket, denied the animal had bitten the youngster. He insisted his dog ‘never misbehaves’.

The man said: ‘The kid has come running down and startled Donnie. Donnie jumped up and knocked him over. It wasn’t a bite – it’s a graze.

‘The police have got my dog. They have said I’ll get him back in a couple of weeks if he behaves himself. I couldn’t be any more apologetic.’

The dog involved in the alleged attack this morning was an XL American Bully (file picture)

The American bully breed is divided into four categories – Pocket, Standard, Classic and XL. The largest are heavily muscled and weigh 8st.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called to reports of a dog bite.

A spokesman said: ‘One ambulance and a paramedic officer attended the scene and treated the patients, a boy, for injuries not believed to be serious.

‘The child was conveyed to hospital for further treatment.’

Anyone with information can contact West Midlands Police on 101, or live chat, quoting investigation number 20/1520549/21

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