A woman whose dog left a toddler with “heart-wrenching” facial injuries after a nasty attack has overturned a council order to have the animal muzzled.

Teresa Ellinor, from Canterbury, adopted American bulldog Cleo just weeks after it bit the 17-month-old girl in January this year.

Ms Ellinor then received a letter from the city council, imposing a list of strict conditions about keeping the dog, including an order that it must be muzzled in public.

But the prison officer, who claims Cleo was neglected by her previous owner, says the dog is no longer aggressive and the restriction is not needed.

The 57-year-old took her case to Folkestone Magistrates’ Court this week in a bid to have the condition removed.

Acting for Canterbury City Council (CCC), Isabella Crowdy revealed details of the attack that had sparked the order.

“At the time, the dog was being cared for by a woman identified as ‘AW’,” she said.

“AW and her mother were attempting to build a crate for the dog when it attacked AW’s 17-month-old niece.

“The dog bit her face, causing injuries to her face and around her eyes.”

The infant was taken to hospital and later transferred to St George’s in London, where she received stitches for the wounds and later required antibiotics after one became infected.

After Ms Ellinor took ownership of Cleo, the letter she received from CCC ordered that the dog must be walked with a harness and fixed lead by a competent adult, must not be left unattended and must have third-party insurance.

The council also instructed the grandmother to keep Cleo muzzled while in public, but this she could not abide.

“The muzzle is the part I’m not keen on,” she told the court.

“I just don’t want to upset Cleo, and the way that she’s being portrayed in that summons letter is not the dog that she is now - she’s amazing.”

Ms Ellinor told magistrates that since she began caring for Cleo the animal has become a gentle and supportive dog.

“I do feel that Cleo was terribly let down by her previous owner,” she said.

“She was starved and neglected, but she isn’t that dog anymore, she’s lovely.

“You should see how good she is with my disabled son and grandchildren.

“I’ve seen the photos of what happened to the baby, and for me as a grandmother it is heart-wrenching to see, but everything she was when she came to me was neglect - Cleo’s not aggressive now.”

Following negotiations during the hearing on Wednesday, the council agreed to amend the control order for the dog so that it would not have to be muzzled.

Ms Ellinor said she would follow all other aspects of the council’s directive.

Concluding proceedings, chair of the bench Janet Wood said: “This is a lifetime order - please be very careful when the dog is around children.”

Speaking to KentOnline after the hearing, Ms Ellinor said she was happy and relieved.

“When I left the courtroom I was so happy for Cleo,” she said.

“All the other points on that letter I do as a matter of course, as a responsible dog owner - she’s always supervised.

“The fact that I won’t have to muzzle her will make a big difference.

“She would have been totally stressed and very upset because she’s never had to wear one, and I think it does affect the behaviour of a dog and the public’s opinion of her when they see her.

“To have that condition removed was a big win for me and for Cleo.”