MOTHER FORGIVES OVER DOG ATTACK ON BRAVE LITTLE KIRA, 2

7:00am Saturday 17th May 2008

By Fiona Pendlebury

THE MOTHER of a toddler savaged by a dog says she is glad the man in charge of the dog was not sent to prison.

Sam Hallows, speaking to the Echo following the sentencing of Stephen Paul Hodges at Dorchester Crown Court, said Kira, two, has made a good recovery from the attack.

However, Sam has been left so traumatised by the incident that she still takes sleeping pills.

She said: "I didn't want Hodges to go to prison because it wasn't his dog and he hadn't seen it in a long time. I just wanted him to accept responsibility, which he did in the end. The dog got put down. At the end of the day if it wasn't put down it could have happened to someone else's child and it could have been a lot worse than what happened to Kira."

Kira has made a good recovery physically and mentally is "unfazed" by what happened to her, added Sam. "She has got to go back in four months so we can discuss what to do.

"We are not happy with one of her scars. I am hopeful she will be back to normal.

"She never had nightmares. She hasn't been fazed by it at all. She's fine. The doctors say it's because of her age. That's the reason she has bounced back so quickly. She did have to see a therapist but they only saw her twice and said she's absolutely fine and not to worry about it. I asked if she would stop talking and they said no.

"She is so bouncy and extremely friendly they don't see her having a problem," added Sam.

The plucky youngster has no fear of dogs and happily plays with her grandfather's pet greyhound, she added. "Her grandad has got a big dog - a greyhound - and she's absolutely fine. I'm still a bit wary of that type of dog - the breed that bit her - but in general, no. I was at first a bit.

"I've been on sleeping tablets. Obviously I don't take them every night just whenever I have a bad night. At the end of the day I can't let it affect me because if it affects me it will affect her."

Sam added that she now has mixed feelings about whether Staffordshire bull terriers should be banned or subject to new legislation to control them.

She said: "It's kind of half and half. My best friend has them and breeds them. I can walk around hers and I've actually gone up and stroked them to get myself back to not being afraid of them.

"I don't like the fact Staffordshire bull terriers are a status dog. I would prefer them to be muzzled in public places and when there are lots of kids around. A muzzle is not going to hurt a dog."