A SEVEN-year-old girl who was attacked by a dog in Bradford has been left scarred for life, a court heard.

Leah Carter’s bottom lip was left hanging by a 1cm piece of flesh after she was set upon by a Staffordshire bull terrier cross.

Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that the dog’s teeth also pierced the youngster’s cheek during the attack on April 22 this year.

Her family said the incident had caused a “psychological destruction” of Leah.

District Judge Richard Clews described the attack as “horrific” and said it was “only through good fortune” that Leah’s injuries were not worse.

The court heard the dog had run out of a house where one of Leah’s friends lived after she had knocked on the door at about 7.45pm.

Colleen Bray, 34, who was looking after the animal for a former partner at her home in Eaglesfield Drive, Woodside, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control that caused injury.

District Judge Clews yesterday imposed a four-month jail sentence, suspended for a year, and ordered Bray to pay Leah £500 compensation.

He also ordered that the dog, called Buster, be destroyed.

District Judge Clews said: “These injuries have resulted in permanent scarring. One hopes that with the passage of time, and her young age, that these scars may fade.

“But they will still be there and will be a permanent reminder of the horrific experience that she was subjected to.”

He added: “Luckily, I am told she is a tough little girl with a bubbly personality, that is assisting her in the journey of getting over this.”

Leah’s mum Sarah Nelson, 33, and her grandmothers Maria Nelson, 55, and Ann Carter, 59, said they were happy with the sentence – and also that the dog was to be destroyed.

Maria said: “Leah has permanent scarring on her lip and a big circle on her cheek that looks like a birthmark.”

Sarah added: “She is upset and asks if she will have them for life. She was asking if she was ugly and ‘will I always be ugly?’.

“It is horrible to think that your little girl is sat there thinking she is ugly.

“I told her she is beautiful and that she will always be beautiful.”

The family said Leah had been around dogs all her life and that her dad had a Japanese Akita dog.

“She never had any fear of dogs,” said Sarah. “She knew to be responsible around them. But any dog now, she is frightened of them.”

Ann said: “Now she is perceptive about dogs. She can spot one about 100 yards away.

“She always asks if there will be dogs where they are going.

“It has been a real psychological destruction of her. We try to say to her that not all dogs are bad.”

The court heard that Leah’s dad, Samuel Carter, had watched his daughter walk across from his house to her friend’s home shortly before the attack.

Prosecutor Nadine Clough said: “He saw Leah walk to the gate but could not see her after that as she was not tall enough.

“He saw the door open and then heard Leah screaming. She ran from the garden, holding her hands underneath her chin. All he could see was blood.”

Leah was operated on the next day and had 20 stitches in her bottom lip and 15 in her cheek.

The surgeon told her family that she was lucky to still have her lip.

Ms Clough said: “One centimetre of flesh kept it intact. If the dog had turned slightly, the lip would have been torn off.”

Anne added: “Leah will be happy that the dog isn’t there any more. She holds no malice to the other family whatsoever.

“She still plays with her children. The kids get on fine.”

Amjid Khan, mitigating for Bray, said the dog had been in her family for years and around her own children.

He added: “My client offers her sincerest apologies for what has occurred. She felt totally responsible for what happened.

“She had never seen the dog behave in this way. There is no past history of the dog behaving like this.”