Lewis Young admitted being the owner of a dog that caused injury while out of control in a public place. The horrifying incident occurred when the dog, named Snoop, attacked an eight-year-old boy, ripping off his scalp. The dog, described as having substantial characteristics of an XL bully type, was a banned breed and had been allowed to roam freely without a muzzle or harness. Lewis Young was the owner of the dog, and his mother, Amanda Young, was in charge at the time of the attack. The boy sustained extensive injuries to his face and hands, including a fracture to the skull and a degloving of the scalp. After several surgeries and skin grafts, he spent more than two months in the hospital.
Merseyside Police received several 999 calls about the attack, and officers found that members of the public had intervened and restrained the dog. Witnesses at the scene described hearing the boy screaming for help while Snoop was frothing at the mouth. Lewis Young arrived home with a harness and led the dog towards attending police officers. He claimed he was not sure if Snoop was an XL bully and had not registered him as required by law. He stated that his mother, Amanda, was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the attack, and he had no idea that the dog was capable of causing such serious injuries. The boy’s injuries were described as catastrophic and life-changing by the judge during sentencing.
Lewis Young was sentenced to two years in prison, while Amanda Young received a 20-month jail term. Both were banned from owning dogs for life. The judge emphasized the severity of the attack on the young victim, who suffered extensive scarring and profound psychological trauma as a result of the incident. Despite warnings about XL bully type dogs and the ban on owning such breeds, Lewis Young failed to check the breed of the dog before taking ownership. Amanda Young, who agreed to look after the dog despite being unable to control it, allowed Snoop to roam freely in public areas of the block of flats. The boy had to undergo multiple surgeries and will be left with lasting physical and emotional scars.
The court heard that Lewis Young had planned to have a DNA test to determine Snoop’s breed but did not have the funds to do so. He claimed he had responded to an advertisement on Facebook to get the dog. The judge condemned their actions, stating that the injuries caused to the young victim were dreadful and life-changing. The boy’s ordeal, which involved losing part of his scalp and suffering a skull fracture, resulted in extensive surgeries and a long recovery period in the hospital. Both Lewis and Amanda Young were found guilty of being responsible for the dog’s actions that led to the attack on the child and were handed prison sentences and lifetime dog ownership bans.
The case highlighted the dangers of owning banned breeds and the importance of responsible pet ownership. The judge stressed the need for proper supervision and control of aggressive and potentially dangerous dogs in public places to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The young victim’s traumatic experience served as a cautionary tale about the consequences of failing to follow regulations and guidelines related to dog ownership and control. The court’s decision to impose significant penalties on the dog’s owners sent a strong message about the accountability that comes with being a pet owner and the serious repercussions of negligence in such cases.
