When you’re taking a selfie, you normally spend a while ensuring that you’ve got the MySpace angles correct and are looking damn fine before you actually press the button.

Images VIA 

Now, imagine if a goddamn dog screwed it all up by biting you in the face just as you took it. Now imagine that you couldn’t even retake if because you had already sent it to everyone on your contacts list because it was on Snapchat. You would be the kid in the picture above, an unnamed 11 year old from Chelmsford.

The boy was taking the selfie on a sofa at his friend’s house when his mate’s father’s dog Digby decided to jump on him and attack him. 45 year old Stuart Harris’ has pleaded guilty to having a dangerously out of control dog and it’s now been sentenced to being put down.

The kid required 21 stitches in his cheek as a result of the attack, which he’s probably more concerned about then the state of his selfie. When you see these pictures you’ll understand why:

Savage. The boy’s mother had the following to say:

He now has a great fear of dogs, especially bigger dogs, which he never had before. We have to cross the road now if we see one coming.

If he goes round friend’s houses who have dogs they have to be put in cages because his friends know he has a fear of them.

He’s very self-conscious of the scar on his face and when people ask about it he feels very awkward and embarrassed. He doesn’t want his photo taken unless you can’t see the scar.

I have only just received a text from Mrs Harris apologising for what happened and for the awful comments made on social media.

As parents and because of the seriousness of my son’s injuries, we felt it our duty to report the attack. We would not have been able to forgive ourselves if this happened again to another child.

Our son’s injuries were horrific enough and an attack like this on a younger child could prove fatal.

No other family should have to be put through this traumatic and devastating ordeal.

I suppose she’s got a point there with all of that, because this Harris guy shouldn’t really be looking after a dog that’s capable of doing that. It seems weird that it’s an isolated incident though (as far as we know) and Harris is appealing the decision to have him put down.

It must be heartbreaking for him to have his dog killed, but if it’s likely that an unprovoked attack like this might happen again then I suppose there’s no other option. It’s a tough call though.

For more dog attacks, here’s a video of a dog beating up its owner.