A disabled woman was left shaken and unable to sleep after her beloved family pet was attacked by a Rottweiler in Colne on Saturday night.
The distressed resident, who was slammed with a £1,000 vet bill following the incident, was walking with her dog on the corner of Keighley Road and Newtown Street, when it was attacked around 6pm.
The Shih Tzu, who was left with a severe cut from one side of his body to the other, was forced to undergo an emergency operation, and is now on antibiotics and painkillers. He is unable to eat.
The injured pet’s owner, who does not want to be named, but who has spoken out to raise awareness, said: “The only way I can describe the injuries is by saying it was like somebody had taken a Stanley knife and slit my dog’s back.
“It’s bad enough for the pet to go through it, but for the owner it is such a shock. I just want people to be aware that that dog should have had a muzzle.
“If it had been a child coming round that corner, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Following the dog attack over the weekend, residents, politicians and authorities have called for stronger laws surrounding dog ownership.
Police have reassured the public that they are working with the RSPCA, Police Wildlife Crime Department and other agencies to carry out an investigation.
And Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson has said he will be raising the issue again with Ministers to ask what further steps the Government is taking to protect dogs and owners from attacks.
Annette Hawkins (76), who saw and helped the upset pet owner directly after the weekend incident, said: “It needs to be brought to the public’s attention. People’s animals should be safe to walk about with their owners.”
Since the start of the year, we have reported on a number of local incidents, where animals have been left with serious and sometimes fatal injuries due to dog attacks.
Mr Stephenson added: “It is terrible to hear about another dog on dog attack in Colne. The Government is taking steps to make sure that the owners of out of control dogs are held accountable.”
And Philip Mousdale, deputy chief executive at Pendle Council, said: “Just like residents, we’d like to see an end to this recent spate of dog attacks in some parts of Pendle.
“I’d advise people who witness dog attacks – whether on humans or on other animals - to report them in the first instance to the police to allow them to investigate, where necessary.”