Natalie Oats-Leaves was walking her Springer Spaniel, Ruby, in Trefusis Park one evening when a large black Staffordshire pit bull terrier-type dog latched on to the spaniel.
Natalie, who usually walks eight-year-old Ruby at Central Park, decided to take an evening trip to the close-by Mannamead park after a long day at work.
The photographer let Ruby off her lead as usual, throwing a ball for her to play catch with.
Natalie added that the black male, who she recalls as being around 6ft tall, wearing dark clothing and jeans and having a local accent, let a dark Staffie type dog off of its lead.
She claims she noticed that when the man called for his dog, the dog "took no notice" and carried on sniffing the grass.
Out of the corner of her eye, Natalie saw something move quickly.
"It [the Staffie] was running towards Ruby so I shouted to ask if the dog was friendly.
"The man didn't reply and as I turned to look for Ruby, the Staffie had latched on to her body and wouldn't let go."
Ruby let out a yelp while Natalie tried to get the Staffie off by hitting it with a ball thrower.
"I was screaming at the man to get his dog – he was hitting it with a lead which caught me on the hand and I thought 'that's not hard enough to make it get off'."
Two people ran over to help Natalie – one of which, Cheryl Yorke, grabbed a stick and hit the attacking dog on the nose causing it to release Ruby, but the Staffie had left her with a gaping hole in her side.
The second helper, Gary, called 999 but was unable to stop the man with the Staffie from walking away.
After wrapping Ruby in a towel, Natalie and her son Jake took her The Veterinary Hospital Group in Estover where she was rushed into surgery for an hour, leaving her with 18 stitches and a drain in her side.
"It was pure panic, I was in shock," said Natalie.
"Ruby is so gentle. She looked like she had been skinned, but thankfully her organs were unharmed.
"Ruby is lucky that she didn't lose her life to this vicious dog; it will attack again and I hope that it doesn't choose a child to be its next victim."
Since the attack Ruby has been recovering at home and her stitches will need to be taken out in 10 days' time.
Although Natalie reported the incident to police, it was classed as a "dog on dog case" which has been closed.
Natalie added: "I have had a Staffie in the past and she was as good as gold; you can't tar all breeds with the same brush, you have to give them a chance."
Natalie thinks the attacking dog's name could have been Bruno; the Staffie was also wearing a two-inch wide collar with brass rounded studs.
(Plymouth Herald - June 13, 2016)
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