‘The dog used me as a chew toy, Mummy’: Seven-year-old from Texas left needing surgery after dog attack

‘He was wearing a white T-shirt that was completely drenched in blood,’ says mother

Conner Landers was attacked as he got off the bus. (Parker County Sheriff’s Office)

A seven-year-old boy from Azule, Texas was left needing hours of reconstructive surgery after being mauled by a neighbour’s dog as he got off the school bus.

Connor Landers was attacked by the black brindle boxer/bullmastiff mixed-breed after it escaped from its yard, and was only saved from further injury when a neighbour saw what was happening and pulled the boy to safety.

Neighbour Lorena Parker told WFAA the dog was “shaking” the child, and dragging him down the street.

“I caught him and started beating on the dog” with a stick, she said.

She added in an interview with Fox4: “Every time I got the dog off, he would turn and go right back to Connor because he was crying. It was horrible.”

The boy’s mother, Cassandra Ware, described finding her son, saying the dog “tore up his jacket and his backpack”.

“He was wearing a white T-shirt that was completely drenched in blood,” she said.

“He just kept saying, ‘The dog used me as a chew toy, Mummy,’” she added.

“He underwent more than three hours of surgery to repair nerve damage to his face and to close more than two dozen lacerations his face, head and body,” Ms Ware told the local sheriff’s office.

“The doctors anticipate he will need several more surgeries to repair additional nerve damage to his face and to repair his tear duct.”

Conner Landers was mauled as he got off the school bus. (Parker County Sheriff’s office)

She said he is expected to need several more surgeries as well as possible physiotherapy to be able to use one of his arms again.

According to Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier, the enclosure the dog was kept in was not properly secure.

“The fenced enclosure was inadequate. The dogs had gotten out before. The homeowner knew or should have known the fence was inadequate and made steps to try to rectify that. And that was not done,” he told WFAA.

The dog owner, identified as Patti Jean Bell-Neveling, 49, was arrested on Monday and charged with a third-degree-degree felony. Her bail was set at $10,000 on Tuesday.

The dog was euthanised following the attack, which took place last month.