A six-year-old boy was recovering in hospital yesterday after receiving 160 stitches to his face following an attack by two dogs on Monday evening.
Stephen Power of Dermot O'Dwyer House, Hardwicke Street, Dublin, who also suffered leg injuries, had 4 1/2 hours surgery.
Both dogs were put down yesterday and a Garda spokesman said their owner, a neighbour of the Power family, would be interviewed.
Stephen Power and his nine-year-old brother, Derek, were going to nearby shops when the dogs attacked. One was a cross between a bull mastiff and a pit bull and the other was a Staffordshire bull terrier.
By law, the animals should have been muzzled while in a public place, according to gardai.
Their father, Mr Derek Power, and an uncle heard screams and rushed to save the little boy.
When the dogs attacked, Derek fell to the ground and was cut, while the dogs went for the smaller boy. They were both taken to Temple Street Hospital.
Mrs Rosaleen Power, Stephen's mother, said: "He has had 4 1/2 hours' surgery and the doctors are satisfied he is safe."
She added: "I heard a scream and ran out to see a big brown dog standing over Stephen. His dad and his uncle ran up and tried to pull Stephen away. There were two dogs. The muzzle had been taken off one of them. Stephen was hysterical.
"Luckily there is a hospital just across the road from where we live."
Meanwhile, Senator Joe Costello, called for a review of the law relating to dangerous dogs and said Dublin Corporation should address the keeping of such dogs in built-up areas.
He said the corporation should treat this as anti-social behaviour. If animals were not removed the corporation should be empowered to take action against tenants.