I thought I had picked the perfect person to care for my little girl. But then something terrifying happened. By Laken Marie, 28
I gave the playground swing a push and my little girl Ava giggled with delight.
‘Weeeee,’ I cried, pushing her higher.
I’d recently returned to my job as a school teacher to help my partner Max and me pay the bills, so the time I had playing with our sweet girl Ava was even more precious.
A family member had been looking after her while we were both at work, but now their work commitments meant we had to make alternative arrangements.
I racked my brain and then told Max: ‘I know someone who would be perfect for babysitting Ava.’
Emma, a woman I’d gone to school with, was a registered babysitter with lots of experience of looking after children.
‘She sounds ideal,’ Max replied.
'My baby! Mummy's here'
My only worry was that I knew from her pictures on social media that she had a pitbull boxer cross.
But I’d volunteered at an animal shelter and my experience was that a dog’s behaviour was based on their owner’s behaviour, and because Emma was an amazing person, I believed her dog would be too.
So, I contacted her and she invited me over to her house so I could see where Ava would be looked after.
As we walked around, I asked Emma about her dog.
‘My dog is well-trained and used to having kids running around the house,’ she reassured me.
Pointing to a dog gate, she added: ‘Ava will be on the other side of the gate at all times.’
Knowing that her dog wouldn’t be in the same room as my girl made any anxiety I had disappear.
A few days before Ava’s second birthday, I took her to Emma’s for the first time.
Approaching the house, I saw Emma’s dog for the first time in real life.
It was just as big as it looked in her photos and was outside on a long lead.
I felt a little anxious but as I kissed Ava goodbye and handed her to Emma, I felt reassured that the dog was on the other side of a gate, and headed off to work.
'We need to report the dog'
But later that morning, Emma called and said: ‘Ava’s banged her head and is bleeding badly.’
She was being taken to hospital, so I went straight there and moments later, the ambulance pulled up with my little girl inside.
I looked through the little window, and saw Ava’s face and head pouring with blood.
But I could also see bite marks around her eye, and on her forehead, cheeks, lips and nose. It was clear she hadn’t just banged her head.
‘My baby!’ I gasped. ‘Mummy’s here.’
Emma hadn’t told me the truth, but for now, I had to focus on my little girl. I held her hand as paramedics carried her into the hospital.
While doctors examined her, I called Max to let him know what had happened.
Soon after, a doctor explained that Ava’s injuries were so severe she needed to be transferred to another hospital.
‘We’ll arrange for you both to be airlifted there,’ he said. ‘There’ll be a team of plastic surgeons waiting to operate on her.’
Max made his way there and that night, we waited nervously as Ava underwent emergency surgery to stitch up the gaping wounds.
While we waited I called Emma to find out why she hadn’t told me the truth about Ava’s injuries.
‘I didn’t tell you over the phone because I knew it would scare you,’ she said.
Exhausted and upset, I didn’t know how to respond to that and Emma offered no explanation about why Ava was even near the dog.
When Ava came out of surgery, doctors told us they’d had to remove four of her teeth and part of her jawbone too.
They said she’d been bitten three times and the cuts were so deep that at first doctors were unsure if it had caused any damage to her brain, but luckily it hadn’t.
A few days later, Ava was well enough to be allowed home. But while her wounds healed, she’d been traumatised by the attack.
Ava struggled with panic attacks and nightmares because of what happened.
It hit me hard too. I suffered from severe PTSD because of it, and was anxious about making sure I kept her safe.
‘We need to report the dog,’ I said to Max. ‘I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.’
Thankfully Ava wasn’t left with any long-term physical side effects such as a loss of sight or facial movement, but she will have to have further operations in the future for her scars and mouth.
As far as I’m aware, animal control officers have investigated and the dog is still living with Emma — who I no longer speak to.
To this day, I don’t know why Ava was left alone with that animal when Emma promised me they’d always be in separate rooms.
I will never get the images of what the dog did to my girl out of my head.
She’s not the same person — whenever she hears a dog bark, she is left feeling traumatised.
I want to warn other parents to be cautious of dogs around children and remember that any breed can bite.
• Emma’s name has been changed.