Little Bradley Mills is recovering at home in Calne this week following plastic surgery on his face after he was bitten by a Doberman.

Bradley, four, who lives with his mum Katy Packham in Bank Row, was bitten on the nose and forehead by the four-year-old dog, which belongs to Miss Packham’s ex-boyfriend.

The boy had to undergo plastic surgery in a two-hour operation after the dog’s tooth pierced his forehead and bit his nose down to the bone.

His mum says the dog, Khamun, which belongs to Earl Smith, attacked Bradley without provocation as the boy was sitting in the living room with six-year-old brother Jordan. She thinks the dog should have been put down.

But Mr Smith said: “The dog is three years old and he’s known the kids for about two years, and nothing like this has happened before.

“This is really difficult for me. I’ve not only lost Katy and the boys but I might lose my dog as well. I think it was just an accident, he’s not aggressive at all. He’s like my child. When I look at him I see a bubbly puppy in a dog’s body.

“It’s dreadful that this has happened and I absolutely understand why they’re asking for him to be put down, but I just can’t. I had it booked to take him to the vet and get it done, but I looked into his eyes and just broke down.

“I can’t just get him killed. This is an absolute nightmare.”

But Bradley’s dad Jonathan Mills said: “Jordan told us the dog came in and put his paws on Bradley’s shoulders.

“He would have been bigger than Bradley. Then Jordan said it looked like the dog head-butted him, but he was biting his face. There were puddles of blood everywhere. It was horrific.”

A plastic surgeon at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol operated on Bradley.

Mr Mills said: “They had to scrub the exposed bone to make sure it didn’t get infected, and then they stitched his nose up and glued it as well. They needed to do both because it was so serious. It’s disgusting to me that this dog is still out there and could be a danger to children.”

The attack happened when Miss Packham and Mr Smith were out of the room.

Miss Packham was in a relationship with Mr Smith for 18 months before breaking up with him last week after the attack.

She said: “Bradley has terrible nightmares every night and won’t go anywhere in the house by himself any more.

“He wet himself yesterday because he was too scared to go to the toilet. But he’s been so brave – I think we were much more distraught then he was. He’s been brilliant.”

Miss Packham is rehoming her much-loved springer spaniel after the attack. “No more dogs for us. I’ve promised the boys I’ll get them a rabbit instead.”

Sgt Phil Connor of Calne police said: “The matter is not closed. We are considering all options that the law will allow us to explore.”

He added that, because the incident happened at Miss Packham’s home with a dog that had been invited in, the matter would be handled differently to an attack outside.