John Purcell, who is still at home recovering from his injuries days after the attack, says Daisy is lucky to be alive after she was mauled by a Staffordshire pit bull terrier and a Mastiff cross on the Warwickshire Moors.
The service engineer rushed to the aid of the six-year-old Border Collie as he wrestled the dogs off her and took her to safety.
The dog needed stitches after her chest was ripped open by the monkey bridge in Bolehall, near Tamworth.
“There could have been kids around, it really does make you worry. Who knows what those dogs could be doing right now.”
Recalling the moment it happened, John, 51, from Bolehall, said he was walking down to the bottom of Moor Lane on to the fields and the railway bridge.
“It was flooded so I went up to Bolehall Swifts and on to the bridge instead,” he revealed.
“Daisy was off her lead like she normally is as she is a good dog and always comes back.
“As we came off the bridge out of nowhere to the right I saw these two beasts coming towards her. The two owners were obviously caught off the hop and unaware and the dogs started attacking Daisy.
“I was rolling around on the floor holding on to Daisy and trying to fight them off. They ripped her belly open and were biting her chest.
“I just had to protect my dog. I knew that if they rolled her over on to her front they would have probably killed her.
“I managed to get Daisy behind the bushes and out of sight and I calmed her down after about three or four minutes. I looked back and the two owners were running off. By the time I got back they had completely disappeared.
Partner Lettie Woodward added: “It was a deep wound. The vet told me that she might need a drain and that she was very lucky it wasn’t her neck. She had stitches in her chest.
“The photos show no perspective in relation to size. The wound is about 17 cm long and the puncture wound is about 1 cm.
“It could have been a lot worse. It was just lucky I hadn’t been walking her that day like I usually do. If they had gone for her throat or there wasn’t a strong man there to hold them off she wouldn’t have stood a chance.
“We ask people to be vigilant especially over Warwickshire Moors as we feel until the police find those responsible it is only a matter of time until these dogs attack again.”
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police confirmed that an investigation is underway.
He said: “We were called to reports of a dog being attacked by two other dogs at around 12pm on December 28, 2017 in Moor Lane, Bolehall.
“The dogs that attacked were described as a white and tan colored large Staffordshire pit bull terrier and a white with black and brown patches Mastiff cross.
“No arrests have been made and we are continuing to investigate the incident with the assistance of the victim.
“If you know anything about this incident, please call 101 quoting incident number 243 of 28 December or, for guaranteed anonymity, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
(Coventry Telegraph - January 5, 2018)
