Girl, 3, Attacked by Cockapoo While Walking Home from School, Owner 'Just Disappeared,' Father Says

A 3-year-old girl is recovering from surgery after she was bitten by a dog — and her father claims the animal’s owner simply walked away without saying anything after the attack.

According to reports from the Daily Mail and Kent Online, 3-year-old Bunnie Skinley, her father Rowen Skinley and her two siblings were walking home on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 17, in Rainham, Kent, when a dog suddenly bit Bunnie on the arm, tearing her skin open.

The incident took place on the town’s Mierscourt Road, just outside an elementary school at around 3:30 p.m. local time, after the children had been picked up from school, according to the outlets.

“It happened parallel to the school on the main road,” dad Rowen recalled of the incident to Kent Online. “I was just walking home after the school run. The path is quite narrow, and a woman was walking her dog on the actual road itself.”

“Then out of nowhere, the dog just lunged for my daughter and pulled her to the floor,” he continued. “The owner managed to pull the dog off, but when she did that, it ripped [Bunnie’s] skin open.”

Rowen said he quickly sprang into action and held his daughter’s skin in place to stop the bleeding, as nearby witnesses approached to help.

“People who saw what happened came over and said that my daughter hadn’t even put her hand out to the dog,” he told Kent Online. “The woman just disappeared — she didn’t leave any details or anything.”

According to the outlets, witnesses reported that the dog was a Cockapoo — a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a poodle, usually considered to be safe, family-friendly dogs, per PetMD.

Kent Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further information on Saturday, June 21.

Bunnie is now recovering after plastic surgery on her arm — a procedure her father said was made even more risky due to the 3-year-old’s lung condition and severe asthma.

“She’s doing well now, she’s just a bit shaken and keeps talking about how scared she is of the dog,” Rowen told Kent Online.

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Police told the local outlet that an investigation is underway. Anyone with information about this incident, including those who may have CCTV or doorbell footage of the attack, is being asked to contact Kent police.

Dog attacks have been a topic of discussion in the U.K. after the government banned a number of breeds in England and Wales, including XL Bullies, Pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos and more, following a wave of dog attacks.

In December 2023, a law was passed that made it illegal to breed, sell, abandon, give away or knowingly let an XL Bully stray in England or Wales without a certificate of exemption.

As for Bunnie’s father, he is concerned that the Cockapoo’s owner walked away after the attack.

“It’s really upsetting that the woman didn’t stop because it makes you fear for the safety of other kids,” Rowen told Kent Online.