'This can't happen to anyone else. It was terrifying': Worries raised as dogs are attacked in Fulwood

The owners of a dog left needing emergency vets bills after it was mauled by a Pitbull in Fulwood have spoken out about the ordeal.

Chris Slater and partner Tania Lou are now attempting to raise £1,500 to cover the costs of the emergency ear treatments their St Bernard Roman needed after it was viciously attacked on Highgate Wood in Fulwood a fortnight ago.

The news comes as another dog, a small Jack Russel Chi named Waffle was mauled to death by another Pitbull just weeks before in June.

Roman was on a lead when being walked by Chris, on July 21, before a Pitbull ran over and attacked him, tearing off his inner ear.

Chris was able to flee the scene with Roman but had to visit A&E for the injuries he sustained in trying to break up the incident.

The council’s dog warden has since confirmed that there have been four recent reports relating to dog attacks in the area, including two now believed to be from the same Pitbull.

Chris said: “I spent two days in the hospital and at the vets and wanted to issue a warning to people.

“This was truly terrifying and it can’t be allowed to happen to anyone else. I’m just happy that I and my dog are big enough to have saved him because a smaller dog would have had no chance whatsoever it was vicious.

“I’ve been beating myself up about what more I could have done but there doesn’t seem much more advice out there than to stand back and not get involved which is impossible to do when you see your loved animal being killed as far as you know.

"Just be vigilant guys, it was late very late at night in the dark woods but you just don’t expect these things to happen.

"Roman has had to be put to sleep for surgery on his ear, follow up appointments and medications to treat the wound around his ear and head."

Concerns were raised on the Facebook group 'We Are Fulwood' about an increase in dog attacks, particularly on Highgate woods in recent weeks, with residents calling for more to be done to protect their pets.

A police spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of a dog attack at Highgate woods, Fulwood. It was reported that a pit bull-type dog had attacked another dog, which was being walked in the area.

“The owner of the second dog also suffered bites to his arms and one foot. The dog warden at the council has been made aware and our enquiries are ongoing.”

Amanda Anstey and her small Jack Russell Chichua Waffle were also victims of a Pitbull attack just weeks earlier, June 6 on Plungington Road, with owner Amanda nearly losing two of her fingers.

She sadly lost their family dog, who weighed just 4 kilograms, after he died on the way to the vets following the ordeal.

She told the Post: "It happened at the beginning of June when I was walking my dog Waffle and saw another big pitbull charging towards us.

"It had escaped from its garden and ran straight towards us so I picked up my dog because he was little and I knew it was coming to attack us. I have scars all over my arms from it because I had picked my dog up.

"He was such a tiny dog and didn't stand a chance. Even though I knew that I couldn't get the big pitbull of us, I still had to try because I could not have just watched him get mauled to death in front of me.

"I tried to stand my ground and all I wanted to do was get the dog off us. It was so scary. The road was closed off and the dog unit was called out to the scene.

"More should be done to make people aware that this can happen because it's too late when someone has been attacked or injured. It shouldn't come to the point where action is only taken if a human is involved or hurt either, if someone's pet is killed that should be enough to take action.

"The police have not been able to do much because they have other things to be doing and this is not a priority for them. Having one dog warden for the council just isn't enough. I am still waiting for the family to be prosecuted who owns this dog but it has been over two months and I haven't been told anything."

Coun David Borrow, Cabinet member for planning and regulation at Preston City Council, said: “There have been four recent incidents reported to us, two of which involved the same dog. “The owner has been issued with a Community Protection Warning.

"The other incidents involved injury to a person and are now being dealt with by the Police.

“Cases involving dogs ‘dangerously out of control’ are led by the Police, whereas we can investigate if a dog has attacked another dog. Ultimately it’s the owners’ responsibility to keep their dogs under control.”

According to Lancashire Police, owners of dogs who attack can expect up to 14 years imprisonment if a person dies as a result of a dog attack, five years imprisonment if a person is injured by a dog attack or three years imprisonment if an assistance dog is either killed or injured.

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