By PATRICK GOWER
Angel Daniels shakes his head when asked if his bike ran over the tail of a staffordshire terrier that savaged him.
The 5-year-old does not want anyone to think the attack that left him with 200 stitches in his face was his fault.
His father, Tui Daniels, blames the
dog, Primo, which attacked Angel on Friday night.
"These dogs have got a switch in their heads and once they turn it on it is time to attack," he told the Herald.
"You should have seen my son. Pieces of skin were just hanging off his face. I could not believe what I was seeing, I don't think any father could."
Angel was riding his bike at his aunt's Mangere home when he accidentally hit Primo, who was securely chained.
The Daniels live only a few doors away, and when he heard the screams Mr Daniels ran out to find his mother holding a howling Angel.
Mr Daniels admitted attacking the dog, saying he "went nuts" after seeing the damage to his son's face.
The truck-driver then drove Angel to Middlemore Hospital at speed, crashing over kerbs and "breaking every law in the book" to get him there as quickly as possible.
The head of plastic surgery, Cary Mellow, operated on Angel for 2 1/2 hours.
The 200 stitches are so minute they can barely be seen and the family have been told he will make a full recovery.
Angel is ready to be discharged from hospital. Although his face is swollen and his mouth still very sore, he can already eat. But he has not spoken much.
"Angel has been so brave, and we have just been so lucky," said Mr Daniels.
The dog was impounded by rangers after the attack and Mr Daniels had been told it would be put down.
Although he wanted it put down "big-time", Mr Daniels said he held no hard feelings against his sister-in-law, who owned the dog.
He said the attack was a "big wake-up call", and has changed his views on dogs. He had thought of the savage attack on 7-year-old Carolina Anderson two weeks ago as "just another news item".
"I never took any notice, but this has got to stop. The dog that did this, it wouldn't hurt a fly - but they have all got it in them.
"The law has to be toughened up. They need to be kept on leads; they need to be muzzled all the time."
In other dog attacks at the weekend, a 14-year-old Northland girl was attacked by two dogs at a house at Ngawha on Saturday.
She was taken to a medical centre in nearby Kaikohe, where she received stitches to wounds.
Police seized the dogs - an unregistered pit bull and a smaller terrier-cross
In Lower Hutt, a 4-year-old boy received lip and cheek injuries when bitten by a dog on a private property in Naenae.
Herald feature: When dogs attack
How you can help
A trust fund has been opened for 7-year-old dog attack victim Carolina Anderson. You can send a cheque to: Carolina Anderson Trust Account, BNZ, PO Box 46-294, Herne Bay, or donate over the internet to BNZ account number 020 248 000 3002-000.
The Herald is backing an appeal to raise money for a $150,000 operating-room microscope for Middlemore's plastic surgery unit. The microscope is essential in minute plastic surgery work such as reattaching nerves. Middlemore has two, used on Carolina Anderson and the victims of the Pipiroa sword attack, but they need replacing. Donations can be sent to: The Microsurgery Appeal, Editorial Department, New Zealand Herald, PO Box 706, Auckland.