UNITED KINGDOM -- A MAN has told of his devastation at the death of his 10-week old puppy after it was mauled by another dog.
Owner Ray Moore was out walking black-and-white border collie, Bailey, when the pup was set upon by a Staffordshire bull terrier which was not on a lead.
Bailey was so badly hurt in the ferocious attack that despite the best efforts of vets to save him, he died later the same day.
Postman Mr Moore, 60, from Beverston Road, Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, said: ‘I blame myself for taking him out there.
‘That dog should have been on a lead and muzzled as well.
‘Every time I think of it, it upsets me. It’s just the fact that the poor dog was in pain for such a long time.
‘I still get flashbacks from it.’
Mr Moore was walking Bailey on playing fields near Marsden Road in Paulsgrove when the attack happened at about 3pm on December 28.
It came less than a month after Mr Moore had got the puppy.
Mr Moore said: ‘I could see two people – a young bloke and a girl – on the opposite side of the fence talking.
‘I saw the Staffordshire bull terrier. He wasn’t on a lead.
‘He saw Bailey through the fence and I saw him scampering towards the gap in the fence.
‘I immediately went to grab Bailey and picked him up but the dog virtually snatched him off me and attacked him.
‘I was shouting at the owner. He came dashing down and started punching the dog on the nose.
‘He let [Bailey] go after a time.
‘Bailey was screaming his head off. He was in such pain.
‘Then he went all quiet.’
Mr Moore says the dog owner apologised for what had happened.
But by the time he had picked Bailey up and put him in his car to take the pup to the vets, the two people and the dog had vanished.
A Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman today appealed for information.
She said: ‘The puppy was attacked by another dog, causing such injuries to the puppy that it later died.
‘We are making inquiries to identify the owner of the other dog.
‘Anyone who may be able to help is asked to contact us.’
Anyone with information should call police community support officer Daniel Smith at Cosham police station on 101 quoting crime reference number 44110542454.
(The News - Jan 9, 2012)
