Great-grandmother fended off two snarling Staffordshire bull terriers with her walking stick as they savaged her pet 'like a rag doll'

UNITED KINGDOM -- A great-grandmother was forced to fight off two raging dogs with her walking stick in a desperate bid to save herself after they savaged her pet Yorkshire terrier.

Marjorie Cartwright, 80, had been walking her six-year-old dog Chucky down the street in Stoke-On-Trent when two Staffordshire bull terriers 'came out of nowhere'.

 

With no owner in sight, the dogs charged at the pensioner before turning on Chucky and tearing at his throat.

Mrs Cartwright tried to beat them off with her walking stick but could not rescue her beloved pet before one ran off with him hanging from its mouth 'like a rag doll'.

The terrifying attack only ended when the owner drove past and the dogs jumped in the car.

Hours from death, Chucky was rushed to the vets covered in blood and had an emergency operation which saved his life. Vets said he would have died if he hadn't been wearing a coat.

Mrs Cartwright said: 'I was terrified the dog was going to rip Chucky's throat. I had a stroke three years ago and I thought I was going to have another one when I saw one of them drag him down the street.

'I can't walk very far because I have problems with my spine but I went as fast as I could - hitting the dogs with my walking stick.

'The biggest one grabbed Chucky by the neck and ran about a quarter of a mile with him in its mouth before the owner arrived in a white car. He is my life and I would have been devastated if they killed him.'

Staffordshire Police are now hunting for the dogs' owner, who gave Mrs Cartwright a false address.

Mrs Cartwright added: 'She called them off and I pleaded with her to take Chucky to the vets because he was covered in blood but she refused. I asked for her address but when police visited the home, it turned out to be a false address.

'The vets have told me Chucky would have died if he hadn't been wearing his little coat as the bites would have punctured a main artery.  I think these dogs are likely to attack again and it might be a child they go for next time.'

Staffordshire Police are now appealing for any witnesses to the incident, which happened at around 3pm on Thursday.

A police spokesman said: 'The owner of the Yorkshire Terrier spoke to a lady at the scene who provided her with false details. We have now launched an appeal to try to trace the owner of the other dogs involved.'

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101.

(Daily Mail - Dec 23, 2013)