"I was worried because I know they attack babies"

AUSTRALIA -- A Sydney mother thought her two-year-old son was going to die when an American pit bull cornered them on a suburban street, bared its teeth and tried to pounce on the pram he was in.

As she ripped her son, Tony, from his seat, a second dog came from behind and sank its teeth into her left knee.

"Really, I thought the baby was finished, to be honest. The dog was just standing there in his face," she said. "It was terrifying. I was scared. I wasn't really worried about myself, I was more worried about the baby."

Tony, 2, was spared from being attacked by a dog. Photo: Janie Barrett

Her horrific ordeal came three weeks after a two-year-old boy was mauled to death by a mastiff-cross at Deniliquin, in the state's south -west.

The 43-year-old mother, who did not wish to be named, said she was pushing Tony around Guildford West in the hope that he would fall asleep about 5.30pm on Friday.

She turned onto Robertson Road and got the feeling that she was being followed.

"I don't know where they came from. I think they were following me," she said.

She had stopped her pram at a car that had parked across the footpath and heard a dog barking.

When she turned around, a ginger-coloured dog leapt towards her son, who was strapped into the pram. At this point, she said, she thought the dog was going to kill him.

"I was worried because I know they attack babies. The dog was right opposite the baby's face, like face-to-face . . . And then I turned around and there was one behind me," she said.

She rammed the dog with her pram and pulled Tony from his seat. She was so busy protecting her son she was unaware of a second dog behind her. Seconds later, its teeth ripped through her pants and skin, leaving a gash that later required several stitches.

"I just started screaming – there were people across the road and I just screamed 'Help, this dog is attacking me'," she said.

"The dogs ran across the road and I ran into some woman's house because I thought they were going to chase me."

Police later found the dogs in an adjacent street but were both bitten as they tried to restrain them.

The dogs, which were not micro-chipped, were tranquilised and taken to the RSPCA at Yagoona.

Rosehill local area command duty officer Glen Parks said the dogs' owners were overseas and police was not sure how the dogs escaped.

"We all know these type of dogs are very frightening, particularly roaming the streets," Inspector Parks said.

Holroyd Council were investigating the matter and a decision had not yet been made as to whether the dogs would be put down.

The mother said she thought the owners should be fined and perhaps face possible jail time.

Last week, the NSW government agreed to toughen punishment for owners of aggressive dogs.

The NSW cabinet approved legislation to amend the Companion Animals Act, allowing council rangers to declare a dog "potentially dangerous" if they believe it was likely to attack.

(smh.com.au - August 24, 2013)

Earlier:

• Mum attacked by dogs after saving toddler in pram from worse fate