A mum whose baby daughter was mauled to death in a freak XL bully dog attack says the “beastly” breed needs to be banned before more people lose their lives.
Bella-Rae was just 17 months old when she sadly lost her life after being attacked in her home.
Her mum, Treysharn Bates, 25, from St. Helen’s, was with Bella-Rae when the incident happened and did everything she could to save her daughter’s life.
However, due to the severity of the injuries, Bella-Rae was pronounced dead shortly after the brutal ordeal.
Treysharn, who is hoping to raise awareness, believes that XL bully breeds are “far too big for people to control” – and says that they need to be banned immediately.
“Let’s get these beasts off the streets,” Treysharn, a stay-at-home mum, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“It’s not the dog [that’s the problem] it’s the strength and size of these horrible things.
“I’m heartbroken by how many people have since lost their lives or have been brutally attacked by these dogs.
“There has become a pattern in attacks and the sooner they’re banned or hard rules are put into place, the better.
“It’s the least that can be done for some type of justice for my baby girl.
“As a mother, losing a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, but watching a life be snatched away in such awful circumstances is soul-destroying.
“I miss Bella-Rae every day and I still haven’t come to terms with what’s happened.
“I just think she’s sleeping over at nanny’s house.
“I haven’t accepted anything yet and I don’t think I ever want to, but I have to stay strong for my little boy who still needs his mummy.”
The freak accident occurred in March 2022, after the family’s dog snatched Bella-Rae out of Treysharn’s arms.
Treysharn’s partner and Bella-Rae’s dad, Ryan, 25, was also there during the incident.
Treysharn says she can’t remember much from the attack as she “blacked out” screaming for help.
When she was finally able to get hold of Bella-Rae, Treysharn rang an ambulance and ran into the garden.
She said: “I don’t remember much from the attack as I blacked out, me and Ryan did everything we could for it to end immediately.
“I rang an ambulance and then ran outside with Bella-Rae, I blacked out screaming for help.
“The neighbours rushed too over to help but it was too late, I wouldn’t let go of Bella-Rae until paramedics arrived.
“Bella-Rae was taken in the ambulance with Ryan as they said I was too erratic but Bella-Rae had already passed away by then.
“My beautiful girl gained her wings at 3:50pm, on the 21 March 2022 at home with me, but was pronounced dead at the hospital.”
Treysharn says Bella-Rae was a “happy” little girl and that she made her life complete.
The mum now has to live each day missing her beautiful girl, but knows she has to stay strong for her son who is seven.
She said: “My life was complete, I had a little boy and now I had my little girl and everything was perfect.
“Bella-Rae was a happy, energetic, clever 17-month-old baby.
“She loved music, dancing, singing and food, she was a brilliant eater for her age.
“She could have a full conversation with you, count to 15 and knew mostly all nursery rhymes and words to songs that I listened to.”
According to Treysharn, the family had been given the dog a week before the incident and had made sure that it was safe for the children.
No legal proceedings took place as Bella-Rae was not on her own when the attack happened and the dog wasn’t under the Dangerous Dog Act.
Now, a year after the attack, Treysharn is hoping to share Bella-Rae’s story with the hopes of helping other parents who are battling with child loss.
She is also wanting to set up a charity in her daughter’s name to raise more awareness of dog attacks.
Treysharn said: “I want to help other families in our position as we felt very isolated and judged when this attack happened.
“The purpose of the charity will be to talk and advocate and help people threw these tragedies.
“Bella-Raes name would be out there helping families rather than being known as the toddler who died of a dog attack.
“I don’t want my daughter known as the baby who got mauled, she was more than that.
“I wish people would understand that this can happen to anybody, no matter what type of breed.
“Bella was never left alone and nothing made the dog snap. This was just a freak accident that caused my daughter to lose her life.”
