Vick Zidko, six, was dragged down the stairs in his family’s home by the vicious American Staffordshire who bit his head and back.

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The young lad’s life was saved when his family forced open the hound’s jaws to release him.

Vick spent five days in hospital and received 50 stitches to his head and face as doctors reattached his scalp.

Now his father is warning other Brits not to make the same mistake his family made.

Vitalijus told The Mirror: “It’s a nightmare and we never want any other family to go through this.”

He says the family thought “long and hard” about getting a dog before spotting the Staffie pup on sale for just £200.

Vitalijus explained: “When we saw him he was really soft and jumping around. He captured our hearts,” the 41-year-old said.

“But after we got him home it became apparent he was completely untrained.”

Vick’s sister Gabriel, 18, witnessed the horror attack.

She said: “Vick came down the stairs quietly and Diesel started barking. He pounced on Vick, dragging him down two of the stairs. It was as if he saw Vick as a chew toy. He was ragging him about and scratching him.

“I started screaming and my stepdad [Vitalijus] and mum ran in. What sticks in my brain was my little brother pleading ‘stop, Diesel, stop’. I was trying to get the dog off. My mum was screaming ‘Oh my God, stop stop stop’.

“My stepdad jumped in front of me and tried choking the dog out, and that’s when my mum scooped Vick up. My stepdad told me to call an ambulance and he put [the dog] in the bathroom.”

Vick’s mum Eugenija, 41, says the whole family is traumatised after the horror mauling.

She explained: “I grabbed Vick and ran to the bedroom, locking the door. I was trying to calm him down. I put a towel on his head to stop the bleeding. He saw all the blood and said, ‘Mummy, am I dying?’.

“Then he asked is [his twin brother] Nick and Gabriel OK. The doctors could not believe how Vick kept smiling. He’s my superman.”

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