Boy, 10, mauled by dog as he tried to save toddler brother

A heroic 10-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after being bitten by a dog while protecting his young brother.

Caio Lewis was playing with his two-year-old brother Jac in his father’s front garden in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire, on Saturday evening, when a French bulldog ran into the yard.

Quickly realising how much danger his brother was in, Caoi leapt to Jac’s defence, pushing the dog aside and allowing the toddler to run to safety.

‘The boys were playing at their dad’s house when the dog ran straight for Jac,’ said Caio’s mum Lara Poyer, who lives in Llanelli.

‘Caio noticed the dog running straight for Jac and he went straight over and pushed him out of the way. As Jac ran back towards the house the dog bit Caio on his thigh.’

Lara took Caio to Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli and after a wait of several hours he was treated with a dressing over the cut and given a six-day course of antibiotics.

He is now on the mend and is grateful that his little brother was not bitten, as his injuries could have been much more serious given his much smaller size.

‘He’s a bit sore but he’s doing well,’ said Lara. ‘We’re very proud of him – he showed a lot of sense and bravery to jump in front of Jac.

‘The dog owner has been very apologetic about what happened. I don’t want the dog to be destroyed because it’s a rescue dog and it’s obviously had a difficult upbringing previously.’

Lara was mindful, however, that the situation could have had a far more serious outcome had Caio not been there or acted as quickly as he did. She added: ‘Where the dog bit Caio was the equivalent of his brother’s head in terms of height because Jac is so small, so it could have been a lot worse.’

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed it had been notified of the incident and that officers were making enquiries.

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