The parents of a six-year-old girl who lost most of her ear when she was savaged by a dog said today the attack had left them "totally devastated" and in "a state of shock".
The parents said the animal circled their daughter like "a shark attack" before it struck.
The child was in Pole Hill, Chingford, north east London, with her parents and three-year-old brother when the attack happened.
Her father said the first time the children saw the dog was when it "charged towards them".
The girl's father said the family were visiting Pole Hill so they could view the sights of London with the telescope they had given their daughter for Christmas
He said: "As we were packing up to leave, a dog suddenly ran up to our family and immediately attacked my daughter, injuring my wife who was instinctively trying to protect her.
"Our children had been nowhere near the dog previously - the first time we saw it was as it charged towards them. The children were very frightened and tried to run to the safety of my wife and I.
"My daughter told me after that she had run as fast as her feet could carry her.
"This was a totally unprovoked and savage attack."
The father said the dog attacked on multiple occasions, adding that it "at one point, circled my daughter and my wife in what looked like a shark attack that you would see on TV. Our son who is very close to his big sister, witnessed the entire incident".
He added: "I hit the dog a number of times, trying to make it let go of my beautiful little girl and wife but the dog continued to attack her, despite our best efforts to protect her. The dog was not on a lead and there was no obvious sign of the owner at first."
The father said he and his wife ended up on the ground as the fought the dog. He said the animal "ripped the majority of his daughter's right ear off.
"(My wife) lay across her to try and protect her and as a result has suffered multiple injuries to her arms. There was a lot of blood."
The little girl was taken to hospital and later transferred to a specialist unit. She will continue to be treated, the father said.
Paying tribute to his daughter, the father said: "She is a remarkable little girl who is very popular and full of life and loves to sing and dance. We are reading her stories and trying to keep her upbeat. She understands what has happened to her.
"We are a very close and loving family and this has totally devastated us. We are all in a state of shock about what has happened and thank people for their concern and wishes."
The family asked for privacy to allow their daughter time to heal and recover.
They said they would not be speaking to the press apart from a pre-arranged interview.
The dog is thought to be a black and white bull terrier.
Detective Sergeant Stuart Cheek of Waltham Forest Police said the "appalling incident" left the girl with serious injuries that could scar her for life.
A man has appeared in court charged with allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control.
Gary Hindley, 56, of Woodberry Way, Chingford, appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court, where he admitted allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place and causing injury under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the Metropolitan Police said.
Hindley has been bailed to appear before the same court on February 13 for sentencing, police said.