Grieving mum issues dog warning after 17-month-old girl mauled to death by family pet

The heartbroken mother says she "blacked out" when the dog attacked her daughter but by the time the ambulance crew took her girl away she had already died from the injuries she sustained.

15:56, Wed, Apr 5, 2023 | UPDATED: 15:57, Wed, Apr 5, 2023

Treysharn Bates with her daughter by the sea

Treysharn Bates with her daughter by the sea (Image: Jam Press/SWNS/Merseyside Police)

A grieving mother has said she is going to set up a charity in her daughter’s name to raise more awareness of dog attacks. Treysharn Bates’ daughter, Bella-Rae Birch, was just seventeen months old when she was mauled by a dog on March 21 last year.

The dog, an American Bully XL, had been bought by Bella-Rae’s father Ryan Birch just a week before the incident.

Speaking about her loss, Ms Bates said: “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 think she’s sleeping over at nanny’s house.”

She added: “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.”

Speaking about the purpose of the nascent charity, Ms Bates 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 through these tragedies.

“Bella-Rae’s 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.”

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Emergency ambulance with blue lights flashing in London

Ambulance crews rushed to the scene but Bella-Rae was declared dead in hospital (Image: Getty)

Remembering Bella-Rae Ms Bates said her daughter made her life “complete” because she “had a little boy and now I had my little girl and everything was perfect”.

She said her daughter was “a happy, energetic, clever, 17-month-old baby. She loved music, dancing, singing, and food”.

Furthermore, at the time of her death, Ms Bates said her daughter was making great strides in neurological development and that she “could have a full conversation with you”.

All of this makes the events of March 21 2022 so much sadder for Ms Bates.

Close Up Of Police Patrol Response Cars

Police said the dog was "humanely destroyed" following the attack (Image: Getty)

According to reports the dog grabbed Bella-Rae out of her mother’s arms before the child was wrestled from its grip by Miss Bates.

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.

“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 3.50 pm, on March 21, 2022, at home with me, but was pronounced dead at the hospital.”

No legal action was taken following the attack as Bella-Rae had not been on her own when it happened and neither was the dog under the Dangerous Dog Act. Merseyside Police said the dog was “humanely destroyed” at a later date.