Boy's head crushed in Vic dog attack

A child safety advocate has called for compulsory obedience and social training for
dogs after a boy was mauled and critically injured by the family dog north of
Melbourne.
The five-year-old boy suffered severe head injuries after the dog grabbed his head
between its jaws in the backyard of his home at Broadford, about 80km north of
Melbourne, about 2.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.
The boy was taken to nearby Kilmore Hospital by car and transferred by ambulance to
the Royal Children's Hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.
Kidsafe Victoria president Mark Stokes said the attack, which followed two other dog
attacks on Victorian children in August, showed training must go hand in hand with
dog licensing.
"Dogs and young children, especially babies and toddlers, do not mix and dog attacks
can leave children disfigured for life as well as being fatal," he said.
Kidsafe proposes certified training for all dogs as a part of the licensing system.
"No training, no licence, no dog," Dr Stokes said.
Monash University research showed about 435 people were admitted to Victorian
hospitals suffering dog bites each year, while more than 1,260 others sought
treatment at hospital emergency departments.
Children under five should not be left unattended with a dog, Dr Stokes warned.