Birmingham dog attack: Animal 'seemed intent' on getting child

A man who helped rescue two toddlers being attacked by a dog said it had "seemed intent" on getting one of them.

The girls, aged two and three, were taken to hospital after being attacked by a suspected escaped guard dog in Saltley, Birmingham, on Monday.

"It's scary how a dog, out of nowhere, can attack a child," said Yaser Baig, who was seen on CCTV fending it off after taking his daughter to nursery.

West Midlands Police has seized the dog and is investigating.

Graphic footage, seen by the BBC, shows the moment the girls are set upon by the dog, which runs across the street directly at them as they walk down St Saviour's Road at about 12:30 GMT.

For almost a minute the girls' mother tries to defend them alone, before passers-by come to their aid.

Because the street is a cul-de-sac, Mr Baig said "you don't get many people down that road", adding he had heard a commotion but had not initially realised it was the children screaming.

"I went running down the street and tried to get the dog away from the child," Mr Baig, 38, said. "It was biting her on the legs, it had a hold of her.

"It seemed quite intent on getting the girl. I kicked it a couple of times and then it let go."

The three-year-old suffered serious hand and leg injuries after being bitten and the younger child sustained scratch marks and a leg injury, emergency services said on Monday.

Before long, the footage shows more people rushing out to help and the girls are bundled into a car out of harm's way while others try to contain the dog.

At one point, Mr Baig rushes towards the nearby nursery where he last left his daughter as the dog runs towards the building.

"In that split second I panicked," he said. "You do think, 'what if'?"

Both girls were taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital for treatment, where their conditions are not said to be life-threatening.

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