EXCLUSIVE Our ten-year-old daughter was viciously attacked by the neighbours dog - it left her scarred for life but somehow the owner doesnt have to pay a penny in compensation
A brave schoolgirl left scarred for life in an horrific dog attack has been let down by the beasts callous owner, health professionals and the courts.
A brave schoolgirl left scarred for life in an horrific dog attack has been let down by the beasts callous owner, health professionals and the courts.
Pretty Lilly OByrne was playing football opposite her home when the Staffordshire bull terrier cross breed escaped its cage and pounced.
Just 10 at the time, Lilly did her best to fight off the powerful animal but was left with a gaping hole in her cheek and puncture wounds to her hands.
Her screams were heard by her parents Alex and Kylie OByrne who were watching TV in their lounge just 50 yards away.
The couple dashed out to see their little girl in what they described as like something from a horror movie.
Engineer Alex drove his blood-soaked daughter to hospital where she had to wait for six hours in A&E before being transferred to a specialist unit where she underwent surgery and was put on an antibiotic drip.
Now 18 months later the family has launched a GoFundMe appeal to get Lilly the help she needs to overcome her life-changing physical and psychological injuries.
The schoolgirl still has nightmares and tears roll down her cheeks when she recalls the the attack outside her home in Bridgend, South Wales.
Lilly OByrne (pictured), was left with a gaping hole in her cheek and puncture wounds to her hands after a Staffordshire bull terrier cross breed escaped its cage and attacked her
Lilly had to wait for six hours in A&E before being transferred to a specialist unit where she underwent surgery and was put on an antibiotic drip
Lillys screams were heard by her parents Alex and Kylie OByrne who were watching TV in their lounge just 50 yards away
With her caring mum and dad at her side she said: I was playing football with a boy across the road - his mum owns the dog. They keep it in a cage so Id never seen it.
The boy went into the house to change his shoes and suddenly the dog came out and jumped up at me biting my face. It was scary, it all happened so quickly.
Police were called to the incident on September 10, 2023, and the dog, a Staffordshire Bull terrier crossed with a German Shepherd, was humanely put down.
Its owner Cody OBrien visited Lillys family the next day but instead of apologising she begged them to go along with the pretence that the dog had been taken in by a local farmer to save her young sons feelings.
OBrien later appeared before Cardiff Magistrates charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.
She pleaded guilty and was fined £666.
Incredibly, Lillys parents were not told of the court hearing so they didnt see justice being done or give a victim impact statement on behalf of their traumatised daughter.
Her angry dad Alex, 39, said: Then we discovered the owner had no insurance for the dog. We brought in solicitors but because she had no assets we couldnt make any sort of claim against her.
Police were called to the incident on September 10, 2023, and the dog, a Staffordshire Bull terrier crossed with a German Shepherd, was put down
Pictured: Lilly with her father Alex, who drove his blood-soaked daughter to hospital after the attack
Lilly, now 11 and a pupil at Bryntirion Comprehensive School in Bridgend, is coping by keeping a diary to help her process her recovery from the attack
What really hurts is that she still lives there and shes now got another dog. The courts didnt ban her from keeping animals, something they have the power to do.
The family were also unable to claim from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board because the animal wasnt on Britains list of banned breeds and its owner didnt deliberately set the dog on young Lilly.
On his GoFundMe page, father-of-two Alex said: The attack and its effect on my daughter is heartbreaking for me and I have tried to support her in every way possible to aid her physical and emotional recovery.
However, apart from comforting her when she is sad or scared, and buying her expensive creams to improve scarring, I have been unable to succeed with anything else.
We feel let down that nobody cares that this has happened to our little girl.
Alex said the family has never been offered help or counselling and because they cant afford to go privately they have been left to deal with the aftermath of the attack alone.
His online plea for help continued: I would like to raise enough money for Lilly to have the option to elect for further surgery to reduce the scarring on her face or to go to therapy via private medical practices if she feels things are getting on top of her.
Most of all I want her to feel that people care and that she is not just left by society to fend for herself after such a traumatic incident.
Lilly is making a name for herself as a footballer with Bryntirion AFC where she is the highest scoring defender in the local league
Alex said the family has never been offered help or counselling and because they cant afford to go privately they have been left to deal with the aftermath of the attack alone
Alex and Tesco supermarket worker Kylie, who have another daughter Jessica, nine, gave permission for the horrific photographs taken immediately after the dog attack to be published by Mail Online.
Kylie, 36, said: Its seriously affected Lilly, she gets scared easily and naturally we are concerned how this is going to affect her in future.
She wears make-up to cover up the scars but we would like her to have the opportunity for cosmetic surgery if thats what she wants when shes older.
Lilly, now 11 and a pupil at Bryntirion Comprehensive School in Bridgend, is coping by keeping a diary to help her process her recovery from the attack.
Shes also making a name for herself as a footballer with Bryntirion AFC where she is the highest scoring defender in the local league.
The GoFundme page, which has a target of £10,000, reached £1,450 within two days of being launched.