Brave Girl Saves Cousin From Violent Dog, Bitten 16 Times and Scarred for Life

Brave schoolgirl saves 8-year-old cousin from dog attack but is bitten 16 times and left scarred for life
Ellie Palfrey bitten more than 16 times while trying to stop 8-year-old cousin from being attacked by American Akita

A brave 13-year-old girl who tried to save her youngest cousin will be scarred for life after being attacked by a vicious dog.

Ellie Palfrey was bitten more than 16 times while trying to stop her 8-year-old cousin from being attacked by an American Akita.

She was jumping on a trampoline in her garden when the dog launched its vicious attack, the Daily Record reports.

The beast chewed through a wooden fence at a neighbouring property in Methil, Fife, before ripping the trampoline apart as it tried to grab the two girls.

Ellie, 13, knew she had to get the dangerous dog away from her little cousin and tried to distract it by running towards the house.

But the animal, called Chaos, grabbed Ellie from behind and began attacking her – dragging her around the garden while biting her arms and back.

The animal was eventually pulled away by a neighbour who used a broom to stop it.

Ellie was taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and has since undergone two painful operations to clean and stitch up multiple wounds.

Doctors have told her she will be scarred for life.

Ellie, a pupil at Levenmouth Academy in Buckhaven, said: “I was jumping on the trampoline with my cousin when the dog barked.

“It started chewing through the wood on the fence, slowly, bit by bit.

“It then decided it was going to chew through the metal and ran towards us very quickly.

“It started jumping under the trampoline, trying to bite through it.

“My cousin tried to grab me to get on but I wouldn’t let her.

“If the dog had got her, she would have died instantly.

“I thought, ‘I’ll try to jump down and distract the dog so it gets away from her.’

“I didn’t expect the dog to run after me so quickly. It grabbed me from behind and started dragging me by the back.

“At one point, I was lying on my back on the grass with my arms up to protect myself and it started biting me. I thought I was going to die.

“I don’t know how I protected my face and neck. I fought back with all my might.

“My cousin was still on the trampoline and I was screaming and crying, ‘Help, help.’”

A neighbour upstairs saw what was happening and ran down to the garden, holding a broom before trying to trap the out-of-control dog in a corner.

Ellie ran upstairs and neighbours used towels to stop the bleeding from the wounds on her arms and back.

Ellie was incredibly brave in defending her cousin

The police were called and an ambulance took her to Victoria Hospital.

Ellie underwent surgery the following morning and again the following day as doctors worked to clean and stitch up the extensive wounds.

She had 13 bite marks on her left arm – including one that went through and tore a muscle – and three on her right leg.

Her back was covered in bite marks, scratches and bruises. She also suffered nightmares after the attack.

Ellie’s mother, Carle, was across the road having a coffee with a neighbour when she heard a commotion outside.

Thinking her cats were fighting, she picked up the phone to call her upstairs neighbour and heard someone shouting: “Ellie’s been attacked by a dog”.

The 50-year-old mother of four said: “When I heard someone screaming, I put the phone down and ran.

“The dog was still in the garden at the time and her cousin was wailing on the trampoline.

“My eldest son tried to run over and save her but the dog, which was being held in the corner by my upstairs neighbour, went berserk and had to back away.

“Her cousin was fine when she found out Ellie was fine. She visited Ellie in hospital and said she was sorry she couldn’t help her.

“She made us laugh by saying she was so small and the dog was big and ‘in her 40s’.

“Ellie was very unlucky but also very lucky. It could have been a lot worse and I’m so proud of her bravery in trying to save her little cousin.”

A police spokesman said: “Fife Police can confirm that a 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a dog attack in Lomond Gardens, Methil.

“The incident occurred on Thursday 20 July. A 13-year-old girl suffered injuries to her back and arm.

“She was taken to Victoria Hospital for treatment and later discharged.

“A report will be made to the Procurator Fiscal. The matter has also been referred to Fife Council’s dog warden.”