A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl was bitten by a dog while on a daycare outing after being encouraged to pet it by its walker.

Daphne Demirkol suffered bites to her face and mouth after being approached by the woman walking the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

1 A toddler suffered bites to her face and mouth after being savaged by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (stock image) Credit: Getty - Contributor

She had been playing with other children in the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent in central Melbourne, Australia when the woman passed with two dogs.

The woman then called out "Doggie! Doggie!", encouraging the children to pet the animals.

Before any teacher could intervene, Daphne moved towards the dogs, at which point the smaller of the two jumped up and bit her.

Witnesses described the dog as being short, brindle brown, and having the appearance of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

They also said that, after the incident, the woman tried to leave before being stopped by a teacher, who demanded to know her name and contact details.

The woman reportedly gave incorrect details at first, before admitting that the dogs were not hers and that she was walking them for someone else.



'THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED'

She was later tracked down by the local city council.

The owners of the dog were informed what had happened and the matter has been referred to lawyers.

Daphne's mother, Denise, said the walker should not have approached the children without first speaking to their teachers.

“The children weren’t trying to play with the dog or trying to pat the dog or anything,” she said.

“The dog walker just walked straight up to the children before anyone could stop her.

"I understand that accidents can happen with dogs but this could have been avoided.”

According to Australian law, both a dog's owner and the person in control of it can deemed guilty of an offence in the event that it bites somebody.

Tamsin MacLennan, owner of Melbourne dog-walking business Paws Outdoors, is trained in canine psychology, nutrition, and first aid, and expressed concern at the number of non-certified dog walkers she encounters.

“Many unqualified people will offer a discounted rate to walk dogs to make some extra cash, and believe they’re experienced enough to do so,” she said.

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“But the consequences can be dire — not just for children, but also other members of the general public and other dogs.

“Certified handlers such as myself would not put dogs in any social situation where other people or dogs are at risk."

A version of this story originally appeared on News.com.au.

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