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BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Cardiff man says triple dog attack has left him with nightmares
Dog attack survivors have described the devastating physical and mental impact of their injuries, as new data shows thousands have sought medical treatment for dog attacks over the past five Newbury, 22, who was attacked by three dogs in April and suffered severe injuries across his body, said the ordeal had left him unable to cope."I'm unable to work and as a result I'm down more than £8,000. I'm also struggling with being at home all the time," said Mr Newbury, who lost the use of two fingers in the forces across England and Wales have seen an increase in the number of dog attacks on people during the past five years. Warning: Article contains graphic images of dog bites Mr Newbury, from Cardiff, was visiting a friend and her baby when they were attacked by three dogs and he stepped in to protect them."The support coming out of hospital was phenomenal, but now I'm not coping," said Mr Newbury, who has been unable to return to his job in security since the attack."It's affected my confidence, when I'm out I get funny looks because I have scars on my arms, and it makes me want to wear a jumper so no-one can see it," he Newbury said while colleagues, friends and family had been supportive, people generally "don't understand the aftermath".He said he was paying for weekly counselling sessions due to NHS waiting Welsh government said it was making progress to reducing waiting times for mental health services in the face of increasing demand for support. Mr Newbury said his experience meant he looked for what he described as "safe spaces" when he leaves his home."I still love dogs but naturally I'm wary of them. I love dogs from a distance, shall we say."He added: "The other day I went for a walk through St David's shopping centre, and parked there because I know dogs aren't in there unless it's for a medical reason like a guide dog."He said he had been overwhelmed by kind gestures and comments which he was incredibly grateful for.A garage in Cardiff replaced his car key - which was damaged in the attack - for free, while another company sent him a free watch."They said they knew how tough it was for me to be stuck inside, so that it's something to look at to cheer me up."He said his girlfriend Jamie-lee, who witnessed the attack through the window, had helped him with everything since leaving hospital."I don't know where I'd be without her," he added. BBC Wales requested information from health boards in Wales which showed 2,910 people sought medical treatment for a dog bite or attack over the last five latest data for England showed there were more than 43,000 reports of dog attacks made by health boards and trusts from 2020 to November 2024. Police forces across England and Wales have also seen an increase in the number of dog attacks on people during the past five were 32,568 recorded offences in 2024 - a 4% increase on 2023's total of 31,398, according to Freedom of Information figures obtained by the BBC from every police force in England and actual attack figures are likely to be higher as the data only counts incidents that were reported to police. 'Dogs can pose a serious risk' Prof Vivien Lees, vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said the severity of injuries caused by dog attacks could vary greatly."In the most severe cases patients may require reconstructive surgery and long-term rehabilitation to regain mobility and quality of life," said Prof Lees."There is an ongoing need for awareness and vigilance. Dogs can pose a serious risk, particularly when they are poorly trained, neglected, or mistreated."Erin Evans, 22, from Gwynedd, was bitten by a dog on her face four years ago while out with friends."It's a bit of a blank, I just remember there was loads of blood and then I collapsed," said Ms left her needing four years of surgery to reconstruct her top lip."When it started to sink in what had happened, I started feeling really low. Looking back I should have asked for help," Ms Evans said. The attack led to Ms Evans dropping out of her nursing degree and losing confidence."I used to be bubbly and happy all the time, but I really struggled and couldn't carry on. I was constantly back and forth to the hospital and found it hard to talk about."She said she still experienced flashbacks and was wary of dogs, despite having three herself and being an animal lover."After what I've been through I'm cautious, but I still love all breeds of dogs."Once she had the all clear from the NHS that her reconstructive procedures had healed, Ms Evans had a cosmetic tattoo on her lip."Before I'd try to hide my lip, but I'm not like that anymore, I even get lots of compliments now," she said. Imogen Hughes, a permanent make up artist based in Conwy who carried out the cosmetic work on Ms Evans' lips, said she focused on making them appear "more symmetrical".A before and after social media post online by Ms Hughes of the work has had more than a million views, thousands of likes and hundreds of positive comments."I had so many messages that week from girls who had similar experiences, including as far as the US," said Ms she warned that this sort of tattooing could be complex."The last thing you want to do is add any more trauma to the area, so seek reviews and healed results from companies you're interested in," she Evans has since graduated from a degree in childhood and youth studies, and said she felt much more positive about the future. "I wish someone had been there to tell me it would get better, and now I want to do that for other people," she said. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for details of organisations who can offer support.
South Wales Argus
24-04-2025
- South Wales Argus
William Newbury saved a mum and baby from a three-dog attack
William Newbury, 22, stepped in to save his friend and her newborn from the Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The security worker from Cardiff was left needing counselling and severe injuries across his body, multiple stitches, surgeries and "some wicked scars" He's also lost functioning in part his hand. William said: "The baby would gave been 100 per cent dead, and the mum would have followed after - I couldn't have let that happen. "I do feel good, I'm just happy they are both OK." William Newbry in hospital (Image: SWNS) The traumatic accident occurred on Mother's Day when he and his girlfriend, Jamie-Lee Davis decided to drop off some baby presents to their friend in Llanrumney, Cardiff. However, upon arriving, the couple recalled hearing screaming - which they thought initially was children playing in the garden. William said: "When we saw our friend's neighbour come out of their house and go up to the door of the property where my friend was, we thought it was all a bit strange." William looked through the letterbox and saw the "nightmare": that was his friend and her six-day-old baby on the floor with three dogs attacking them. William Newbury was left seriously injured by the dog attack (Image: SWNS) William explained: "There was one dog biting her foot, another biting her hand and another was trying to get over her stomach to get to the baby. "I started banging on the door and shouting through the letterbox - trying to get their attention. "One of the dog's noticed me and started barking, but that made the other two get more aggressive towards my friend. "Even though it was awful, it was good I got that dog's attention, because if it had gotten over to the baby, I don't want to think about what would have happened." The front door was locked or broken, said William, so he was unable to get in the property. He said: "I have experienced some nasty things from working in security, but this was pretty horrific. "All we could do was listen to her screams." After calling his friend's partner, who was out of the house with his family, someone had mentioned one of the window's was unlocked. William said: "Normally I am the type of person to think about stuff first, but as soon as someone said a window was unlocked, without thinking, I ragged the window open and went through the window. "My girlfriend wanted to come too, but I wouldn't let her. "So I managed to pick my friend up inside, as she couldn't stand and was loosing consciousness - with gaping holes in her feet. "We managed to put the baby in a pram, and my girlfriend lent through window, got the baby out safe and passed them to the neighbour." After some extreme difficulty, William managed to lift his friend over a baby gate - despite one of the dogs with a "locked jaw" on their jumper. He got his friend out of the window, but as one of the dogs was trying to follow them out, William screamed for the window to be shut. "I remember screaming 'shut the window!', but it meant I was locked in the house with the dogs", said William. For the next 20 minutes, the young man had to try and fight off three unrelenting Staffordshire Bull Terriers. They attacked him on his hands, arms, legs, stomach and jumped at his face and neck. William's girlfriend was forced to watch the harrowing event through the living room doors. He said: "There was one point when I literally thought I was going to die.'' William Newbry's heroic actions saved a mum and her baby (Image: SWNS) William's girlfriend, Jamie-Lee, then came in and grabbed one of the dogs - and before it could attack her the dogs' owners arrived at the house. William was taken away in an ambulance, and spent the next eight days recovering in Heath hospital - where he had to undergo various surgeries and around 20 stitches. Doctors informed him he will be off work for around 14 weeks. He said: "My finger still feels like it's going to fall off! It's permanently broken for the rest of my life. "But they got me all over my body - I had to have 15 stitches alone on my right hand. More stitches on my left arm, gashes on my leg, stomach, lower back, my neck, jaw and check. "Luckily my beard covers some of it!" Since having counselling, William has been left sceptical of dogs - but not fearful. He explained: "I refuse to be scared of them. "We have always had dogs in the family - there has never not been a dog in my house. "So I am now cautious and tread carefully but it is about how you bring dogs up. "My accident was the fifth attack so far involving those dogs - apparently they weren't fed for two days either. "Social services even had a plan in place for them, meaning they usually had to be in their cages if left alone - but they weren't in their cages that day." If William had not intervened, he said his friend's baby would have died, and potentially his friend too. He added: "The baby would gave been 100 per cent dead, and the Mum would have followed after. "When being interviewed by the police, my own mum said 'I would have had a standing chance if I had been jumped by three men, but not those dogs. "It took dog handlers between two and four hours to get them after the attack." The baby's family have set up a fundraiser to help William cover some of his loss of earnings, medical fees and everything that was destroyed in the attack, like his £400 car key and phone. South Wales Police are investigating the incident and no arrests have yet been made. The woman and mother of the baby who William saved, who does not wish to be named, said: "I'm struggling with day-to-day tasks, as I can't walk and I'm awaiting my fourth surgery. "William is mine and my baby's true hero, I can't thank him enough. I thought I was going to die." You can donate here:
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man loses part of hand after saving mum and newborn baby in brutal dog attack
WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES. William Newbury, 22, lost two fingers after stepping in to save a woman and her new born baby from three dogs attacking them in Cardiff, Wales A young man who stepped in to save a new mum and her young baby from being mauled by dogs lost part of his hand in the attack. William Newbury, 22, was dropping presents to the woman's home on Mother's Day when he heard screams coming from inside and so peered in the letter box and saw the pair being attacked by dogs. He tried the front door but found it was locked so checked and spotted a downstairs window had been left open and climbed in. Once inside the house in Llanrumney, Cardiff, he helped the mum escape out the same window with her new born baby, while the dogs continued to bite at his legs, face and hands. William was rushed to hospital but lost two fingers in the attack. He said: 'I've already had one counselling session to get over this, I've had nightmares. I can replay the whole situation in my head, it's horrible. 'I refuse to be scared of dogs, but if a dog comes up to me now I step out of its way. ' I went up to the letterbox and looked through and saw the mum and the baby being attacked by three dogs. The door must have been locked or broken as I couldn't get in, but I tried banging on the door and shouting through the letterbox to try and distract the dog. 'Luckily there was a downstairs window that was open and I didn't even think about it, I went straight in. "They were all targeting me, nothing I did was stopping them, I was hitting one of the dogs trying to get it to stop, but it didn't work. "They got me on my leg, hands, arm, side of my face, my stomach, my lower back, basically head to toe." The three dogs, all Staffordshire bull terriers, were put to sleep as a result of the incident. The mum hailed Willa "hero" and began a fundraiser to help his recovery. She added: 'I'm struggling with day-to-day tasks, as I can't walk and I'm awaiting my fourth surgery. 'William is mine and my baby's true hero, I can't thank him enough. I thought I was going to die." Theresa French-Drew, the woman's stepmother, said: 'Will is a hero, there is no other word for what he did. "Without him it would have been a whole different story. I'm not being dramatic, that is how it is. We are so grateful to Will and will be indebted to him forever.' outh Wales Police is investigating the incident and no arrests have yet been made. A spokesman said: ' South Wales Police was called on Sunday, March 30 to Paracombe Crescent in Llanrumney to reports of three dogs having attacked a man, a woman, and a child. "All three suffered injuries that required treatment but were not life threatening. Three Staffordshire bull terriers were put to sleep because of the incident. No arrests were made but investigations continue."
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Hero bystander suffers horror injuries as he stops woman and newborn baby being attacked by three dogs
A heroic young man has told how he was left with horror injuries – including the loss of function in two fingers – after he bravely leapt through a window to save a mother and her newborn baby from a vicious dog attack in Cardiff. William Newbury, 22, had been dropping off gifts for a friend on Mother's Day when he was thrust into a terrifying ordeal – facing down three out-of-control Staffordshire bull terriers who were mauling a woman and her one-week-old baby inside a house in Llanrumney, South Wales. Mr Newbury, from Roath, described the nightmare moment he peered through the letterbox and saw the horrifying scene unfold. 'It turned out to be the mother, I went up to the letterbox and looked through and saw the mum and the baby being attacked by three dogs,' he told the BBC. With the door jammed shut, William desperately tried to distract the frenzied animals from outside – but only one turned its attention. The other two continued their attack. William then spotted a ground floor window ajar – and without hesitation, he clambered through to get to the victims. 'Luckily there was a downstairs window that was open and I didn't even think about it, I went straight in,' he said. But the dogs soon turned on him in a frenzied assault that left him bleeding, bruised and bitten all over his body. 'They were all targeting me, nothing I did was stopping them, I was hitting one of the dogs trying to get it to stop, but it didn't work,' he said, recalling how he stayed in the house for around 20 agonising minutes before emergency services arrived. His injuries were so severe he was rushed to hospital and spent a week receiving treatment with wounds on his leg, hands, arm, side of face, stomach and lower back. The brave bystander now faces a long road to recovery and has been told he'll never regain full use of part of his hand. The mother and baby were also taken to hospital and treated for injuries which were not life-threatening. Despite his ordeal, William says he's determined not to let fear take hold – but admits the trauma has left its mark. 'I refuse to be scared of dogs, but if a dog comes up to me now, I do step out of its way. I've already had one counselling session to get over this, I've had nightmares, I can replay the whole situation in my head, it's horrible,' he said. South Wales Police confirmed that officers were called to the incident on March 30. All three Staffordshire bull terriers involved were destroyed, though no arrests have been made. A spokesperson said all three victims suffered injuries that required medical attention, but thankfully none were life threatening.
