Boy, 11, savaged by dog his father rescued off the street five days earlier

A boy of 11 was savaged by a dog just five days after his father had taken the stray in off the street.

Finn O'Mahoney's cheek was ripped open by the five-stone Chinese Shar-Pei dog, which attacked him while he was watching television on Christmas Day.

The terrified boy was only spared worse injury when his dad wrestled the dog to the floor.

Scarred: Finn O'Mahoney recovers in hospital from the dog attack. The five-stone Chinese Shar-Pei mauled him as he watched TV at home on Christmas Day

'My best friend': A smiling Finn, 11, nestles up to the sleeping dog which his father had only recently taken in off the street. The animal has now been put down

Finn is now recovering in hospital after hours of surgery and 18 stitches, while the dog was put down.

His father Michael, 42, along with mother Carol, 38 and sister Lillie, nine, had taken pity on the dog after seeing it shivering near their home in Wolverhampton.

But as the family watched the Coronation Street Christmas special, the animal 'launched itself through the air' with no warning to attack Finn.

Michael, 42, said: 'No one had shouted or made any sudden movements to frighten the dog - it just launched itself through the air without any warning at all and clamped itself on to Finn's face.

'The dog just went berserk for no reason. I've never seen such ferocity from an animal.

'I tried punching it to stop it but it kept snarling and biting, it was vicious. My wife just ran into the next room, she was terrified and there was a lot of blood.

Stray: The powerful Shar-Pei makes it itself at home

Recovering: Finn's father Michael visits his son in hospital

'We'd even been playing with the dog all day until then. We'd started calling him 'the gentleman' because he was so obedient and had such a lovely posture.

'I dread to think what could have happened if I hadn't been there as it could have been much worse.'

Finn sustained puncture wounds to his mouth and throat, as well as a two-inch gash from his eye to his nose.

He needed two and a half hours surgery to repair his face which had been 'hanging off' after the attack, and has been told by doctors he may need cosmetic surgery in later life.

Michael added: 'Finn will never look at dogs the same way again after this. We've just about convinced him to keep our other dog but it has definitely affected him.

'I just want to warn anyone about taking in stray dogs like that, The dog was at death's door and I've never believed people when they say 'he just snapped', but that's exactly what happened.'

The attack came just days after Barbara Williams, 52, was thought to have been mauled to death by a Belgian mastiff in Wallington, south London.