Zoe Stenton, of Wood Green, Whitwood, had the right side of her face sliced open and was left with a swollen and bruised right eye after she was bitten by the Japanese Akita cross Alsatian in a neighbour's garden on Chiltern Avenue at around 12.30pm last Thursday.

She is now facing a five-hour operation – where surgeons will stitch her cheek and part of her nose back on – and plastic surgery to reduce the scarring from the attack.

Her dad, Wayne Stenton, said: "She is really worried about how her face will look afterwards but the doctors have reassured us that the scarring will be limited."

It is thought that the dog, called Spike, went for Zoe after she tried to join in a child's birthday party which was taking place in the front garden of the house.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "They were having a birthday party and I think she just wanted to play with the children. The dog wasn't even out, I think one of the children let it out. I didn't see the dog go for her, I just heard a piercing scream. I had never heard anything like it.

"It happened in seconds. I thought it was a bee or something but then I realised. The bites were on her cheek and a bit on her chin.

"Her dad came running from around the corner and tended to her outside until the paramedics arrived."

One little girl at the birthday party said: "I saw her face and I quickly shut my eyes. It was bad. She was bleeding very, very much."

Zoe was taken by ambulance to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, where she stayed overnight. Her mother, Debbie Redding, was with her.

Speaking at the time, Mr Stenton said: "She is in pain, obviously, but is laughing and joking with the nurses and her brother Matthew.

"Her mum and I were so worried and she was just laid in bed watching TV.

"She's very resilient though, she always has been."

The owner of the dog said: "It's a placid dog – I've had it since it was eight weeks old. It's just because it didn't know her. Even though what happened was wrong, it's because it's not very good with strangers."

The dog has been put down by police.