This is the horrifying moment a snarling bulldog attacked an 18-month-old toddler in an elevator in Brazil.

CCTV footage shows the little boy's nanny desperately trying to pull the terrified child away as the dog charges towards him and sinks its teeth in.

The animal's owner lifts the boy in the air with one arm as he struggles to control his dog, which wasn't on a lead.

The nanny eventually escapes with the toddler, who suffered bruising and a bite to his leg during the incident in an apartment block in the port city of Belem last Thursday.

The bulldog is seen rushing towards the little boy as the nanny tries to pull him away

The terrified toddler screams as the owner tries to protect him from his vicious bulldog

The dog owner is seen lifting the toddler high in the air with one arm as he tries to stop his vicious dog from jumping up with the other

The little boy is said to have been left 'traumatised' by the attack and his family have lodged an official complaint with police.

The owner faces possible criminal charges for the attack.

Bulldogs are one of 17 breeds considered to be a potential danger to the public in Brazil and owners are legally obliged to keep them muzzled and on a lead in public spaces.

The boy and his nanny were on their way down in the lift to a playground in the apartment block's compound when the attack happened.

Footage shows them standing in the lift when it stops at a floor and the door opens.

The nanny stands between the doors to keep them open for a tenant to enter, while holding the child's hand.

Suddenly the pedigree pet, which is not on a leash, runs into the lift and charges straight towards the boy and bowls him over, pinning him into a corner before allegedly biting him.

In the upsetting footage the owner, who enters right behind the aggressive animal, grabs the child from the nanny lifting him out of the dog's reach as the doors close.

The nanny grabs the toddler and tries to escape as the owner struggles to control his dog

The owner rushes in after his dog as the snarling animal traps the toddler in a corner

The out-of-control beast goes berserk in the tight space as the lift descends and leaps up on the owner and nanny to get to the petrified child.

The pair battle to contain the raging creature, holding it by the ears, head and neck. But it seems that even between them, they are not strong enough to calm the agitated animal.

The elevator's mirror shows the toddler screaming and crying with fear.

At one shocking point the muscular canine uses all its strength to slam the owner backwards onto the wall in its determination to launch itself at the boy.

Cameras show the hefty brute practically overcoming the bearded man, who is still holding the child aloft while trying to fend it off.

The nanny, holding the little boy's hand, held the lift door open to let another tenant in

The nanny desperately tries to pull the child to safety as the owner tries to calm his dog

The animal's tactics brings the little boy within reach and the disturbing incident looks like it is about to get worse, when fortunately the lift doors open.

The dog's owner had the wherewithal to press the button to ensure it opened at the next floor. The nanny wrenches her charge from the man's arms as the bulldog appears to try to sink its teeth into the child's legs again.

The ferocious beast is bent on pursuing the boy even as he escapes. But the owner stoops in front of it barring its exit until the lift is on its way.

A statement issued by Daniel Rodrigues Cruz, the family's lawyer, said the boy is recovering but he is traumatised by the incident.

He said: 'At this moment, the baby's family are shaken and they are awaiting psychological assessments and (more details about) the extent of the injuries.

'They wish to be left alone to come to terms with what happened.'