Matt Valentine was left with blood gushing from a deep wound after the incident, which happened as he was walking his family’s Golden Retriever, Bruno in parkland near Belstead Brook on Thursday, shortly after 8am.
The 25-year-old, who lives in Canterbury Close, said the attack lasted about ten minutes.
“When we came on the park, I looked around to see if there were any other dogs about before letting Bruno off the lead,” the Morrisons worker said.
“But all of a sudden, straight behind me came this big dog growling and snarling – it sounded really ferocious. It went straight for Bruno and started attacking and biting him.”
Attempting to rescue his dog, Mr Valentine used the lead and choke chain to hit the snarling animal – which he believes was a Bull Mastiff. But his hand got in the way of the dog’s snapping jaws.
“He wouldn’t stop, I was terrified,” he said.
“I didn’t know what to do, there was blood everywhere. If it had been a small child in the way it could have been really nasty.”
He said he recognised the dog from the area and believes it has gone for his dog Bruno in the past.
“It makes me so angry,” he said.
Paul Valentine, Matt’s stepdad, said: “This is not the first time Bruno has been attacked. We have had about 14 other incidents where he has been set on by other dogs. When I saw Matt come in, my heart was beating so fast, all I could see was blood everywhere it was a horrible shock.
“When we take Bruno out we have him on the lead and check to see if there are other dogs about before we let him off.”
(Ipswich Star - May 3, 2011)
