Like 'A Piece Of Meat:' 2-Year-Old Girl Savagely Attacked By 5 American Bullies

A gruesome attack left a toddler with scar that she will carry for the rest of her life after five American bully dogs treated her like a rag doll.

Sandra McKevitt painfully recalled when she and her then two-year-old niece, Ella, were enjoying a peaceful picnic in her backyard on May 7, 2016 when five American bully dogs decided to literally crash the party.

“The next minute there was this big bang, through the fence I just saw this big dog's head,” McKevitt told The Sun.

She added that she was aware that they were in the presence of the dogs. They were not barking at that time, but at best, they were only a bit restless.

After the dog crashed the fence, McKevitt described it to be growling and she could see blood lust in the animal's eyes.

“I could see its eyes were wild and I thought 'we are going to have to move quick'.”

With fear setting in, McKevitt told her nephew and niece to go back to the house. But then, the nightmare began.

As the children were running away, Metro UK reported that the dog that burst through the fence caught up with Ella and bit her while the other four followed and savagely attacked the poor girl.

McKevitt desperately tried her best to pull the dogs off Ella, but the animals overpowered her. A male American bully can weigh up to 66 pounds, while females can peak in at around 60 pounds.

“I picked her up, I was punching, I was screaming for help,” McKevitt added. She also heard Ella screaming for her mom and dad.

“They were just tearing away at her like she was just a piece of meat.”

By this time, Ella was losing consciousness.

A glimmer of hope in the form of their neighbors gave McKevitt the push that she needed. While they distracted the dogs, she scooped Ella into her arms and escaped.

Ella was immediately transported to Alder Hey Children's Hospital where she underwent a 12-hour surgery and was confined for three and a half weeks.

“Her cheek was hanging off, you could see her scalp, there were cuts near her eye. She was bleeding everywhere,” said McKevitt, who honestly thought that her niece wouldn't survive.

Ella suffered lacerations on her right cheek, neck and above her right eye. In addition, the attack also left her with a number of bite marks to the side of her head that penetrated the bone.

Ella also had wounds on her arms, legs and ribs. She will also have permanent scarring and loss of felling in her lips and mouth, the source added.

“You heart just broke looking at her, no one should have to go through anything like that.”

The dogs that attacked Ella belonged to breeder Andrew McGowan. Further information suggested that he kept “up to 18 American bully pets.”

He was arrested and later admitted for a number of out-of-control dogs in June 2017. His lawyer, Des Lennon, said that McGowan was not home when the attacked happened.

He also pointed that McGowan was “truly sorry and remorseful” and went with police officers without hesitation.

Five dogs and six puppies were retrieved from McGowan's property. Two were put down while the rest were placed in adoption.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail along with a ban from keeping dogs for 12 years.