What’s the story?A dog savaged former Liverpool and Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant during a walk in north London, biting his right leg four times and leaving him needing more than 50 stitches.According to British newspaper “The Sun”, the 43-year-old was walking his own dog “King”, an American Akita, when the pair crossed paths with a German Shepherd.What began as an encounter turned violent in seconds. The German Shepherd went for Pennant’s dog, Pennant stepped in to protect him, and then the attack turned on him.Pennant called it a terrifying ordeal. “It was really frightening,” he said. “The other dog attacked King, so I stepped in to protect him.”He soon realised the dog had turned on him. Pennant fell to the ground as the animal clamped its jaws around his leg for at least five seconds.The force of the bite stayed with him. He described feeling immense pressure as the dog bore down on his leg.His dog intervenes to protect himKing came to his defence, and the two dogs grappled violently. Pennant insists his companion refused to leave his side until help arrived.Both dogs were off the lead when it happened. His girlfriend Mimi Montgomery, his partner of two years, got him to the emergency department by ordering a taxi through the Uber app.Doctors treated the four wounds to his right leg in hospital, where he stayed from Friday until Saturday. They warned him he may need plastic surgery on one of the larger gashes.For all he went through, Pennant has chosen not to report the incident to police. “This is something that can happen,” he said. “I’m fine, and the dog is fine. Everything is okay.”Pennant’s career in the English leaguePennant made 231 Premier League appearances across his career, including 12 for Arsenal and 55 with Liverpool, along with spells at Leeds United, Birmingham City, Portsmouth and Stoke City.He hung up his boots in 2018 after turning out for a string of well-known English clubs.50 stitches and plastic surgery: former Liverpool player subjected to a horrific dog attack!
