The incident happened as Garry Winter, 31, from Moss Avenue, Ashton, walked Shih Tzu Coco, with his three children. Garry’s partner, hairdresser, Emma Winter, 29, said: “Garry and my three children were all on their bikes going through the canal on to Savick Way, when the dogs attacked.”
The two mastiffs, who were both off the lead, attacked Coco in front of eight-year-old Tony, five-year-old Taylor and four-year-old Lucie.
Emma said: “Garry fell off his bike as he tried to stop them, by which point the children were hysterical.”
As the dogs continued to attack, they strayed into the road and a young man, believed to have been the dog’s owner, ran after them.
Emma said: “He said to Garry, ‘Get off or it’ll turn on you’. He was concerned that they might attack the children.”
After seeing a number of unmuzzled and unleashed dogs around the Savick estate, Emma is concerned that the incident, that killed Coco may happen again.
“The son of one of my clients was bitten on the stomach by a dog, and I’ve just seen a Rottweiler off the lead walking around with two young lads. It was irresponsible to take these powerful and dangerous dogs out on the street and have them off the lead when it was the summer holidays and there were little ones about. I could have been burying one of my children.”
Emma, who lives 500 yards from where the attack took place, ran to the scene and picked Coco up from the ground.
She said: “My dog was scared of other dogs anyway, she didn’t stand a chance, she was covered in blood when I got to her. I’ve lost the best dog ever.”
(LEP - Sept 9, 2012)
