Pictured: Boy, 3, who underwent surgery to have his ear reattached after being dragged from his bicycle and savagely mauled by a Great Dane dog over twice his size

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A three-year-old boy who was savagely mauled by a Great Dane while playing in the street has had his ear re-attached in surgery.

Tom Higgins was riding his bicycle in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield at around 6.30pm on Tuesday when a neighbour's dangerous dog ran through an open gate and attacked.

The child, who suffered serious injuries to his face, neck and back, had his ear re-attached during surgery on Wednesday and remains in John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition. 

A three-year-old boy (pictured with his mother heading into hospital) who was savagely mauled by a Great Dane while riding his bike has had his ear re-attached

Tom Higgins was riding his bicycle in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield at around 6.30pm on Tuesday when a neighbour's dangerous dog ran through an open gate and attacked

The owner of the Great Dane (pictured), which will likely be put down, said the animal just doesn't like bikes

Detective Acting Inspector Jeffrey Little said the boy was lucky to have escaped with his life. Pictured: The boy's bike

The owner of the Great Dane, which will likely be put down, said the animal just doesn't like bikes. 

Detective Acting Inspector Jeffrey Little said the boy was lucky to have escaped with his life.

He told Seven News: 'I'd say everybody is lucky in this circumstance because it hasn't ended up worse.

'This is a timely reminder that anyone who owns a dangerous dog is in fact liable if that dog bites anybody or attacks any person.' 

The child suffered serious injuries to his face, neck and back. He remains in John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition

The attack came after 12-month-old girl Kamillah Jones was mauled to death by an Rottweiler in Inverell, northern New South Wales on Saturday.

The dog savaged the infant at her new home as her family were celebrating moving in with a barbecue, a source said.

On Sunday, a three-year-old girl was left with shocking injuries after a South African Boerboel attacked her in the Melbourne suburb of Berwick.

She was rushed to hospital and is lucky to be alive, according to neighbours who helped saved her. 

Kamillah Jones (pictured) was mauled to death by an Rottweiler in Inverell, northern New South Wales on Saturday

A baby died while being taken to hospital after being mauled by a Rottweiler on Saturday (stock image)

Owners of a South African Boerboel (similar to the one pictured) that mauled a 10-year-old girl in Melbourne must 'seriously consider' putting it down, according to the RSPCA