Eileen Wilson, 70, watched in horror as little Ruby, a Jack Russell, was torn apart by a Bull Mastiff.
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Eileen Wilson with her pet’s collar |
Mrs Wilson said: “I went, ‘Oh my God no’. This dog had grabbed my poor Ruby and she was screaming.
“The owner kept calling it back, but it took no notice.
“I was just standing there saying, ‘You’re killing my dog, I hate you, I hate you’.”
The man finally managed to pull the dog off Ruby, but by then it had broken three of her ribs.
It had also left three large bite marks on her back which went through to the bone. She also suffered severe nerve damage to her legs.
Mrs Wilson said the man walked her back home to Borman Close, Eastwood, before going with her to the nearby Medivet. There he paid £1,000 on his credit card to cover part of her treatment.
Ruby underwent surgery in a bid to repair the damage after Thursday morning’s incident, but she died of kidney failure two days later. Heartbroken widow Mrs Wilson said: “We thought she would pull through, but her wounds were so severe.
“Now my poor mite is lying dead in the garden – and he’s probably still walking his dog around.”
Mrs Wilson said Ruby had been a “sweet little thing who liked to amble around” and she would miss her badly.
She now feels unsettled in her own home too. She said: “It doesn’t feel like my home anymore. It’s like a stranger’s home because my little girl’s not here.
“She shouldn’t have died like that. She didn’t deserve it.”
Mrs Wilson says her biggest worry is that next time a child could be attacked. She added: “It just doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Police have had two other reports about a Bull Mastiff attacking dogs recently, which they believe may be linked to Ruby’s mauling.
Anyone with information about the bullmastiff attacks should call police on 0300 3334444, as officers may want to speak to the owner of the dog or dogs about keeping their animal under control.
An 11-year-old boy was bitten by a Doberman in Heycroft Park, Eastwood, at 3.30pm on Saturday.
The dog managed to pierce the skin on his arm, but only caused a minor injury. Police spoke to the owner, who agreed to muzzle her dog and keep it on a lead.
(Echo News - July 15, 2011)
