Call for witnesses to attack by dog which grabbed Maltese Shih Tzu in its jaws in Melton street

Edna Field and her husband Peter fear their five-year-old Maltese Shih Tzu, Billy, could lose an eye following the attack near their home on the Fairmead Estate in Melton.

The couple have reported the incident to the police and have put up posters appealing for witnesses to the attack, which happened on Tuesday evening last week as the couple walked Billy and their other Shih Tzu, Alfie.

Mrs Field, 73, said: “They are such loving animals, but Billy has been traumatised by this. Now he growls at us, is afraid to go outside and has to be hand-fed. It’s awful.”

Mr and Mrs Field had both their small dogs on leads as they took them for their evening walk at about 8.15pm.

Mrs Field said the attack happened as they walked near Tesco Express in Nottingham Road.

She said: “We heard shouting from the ball park in Dieppe Way and thought it was just the children playing. Then a big dog came through the hedge, grazing my husband’s leg and got hold of Billy.

“It was horrible. It all happened so fast. the dog was more than twice the size of Billy and had a big head and big mouth. It punctured Billy’s neck and the back of his head.

“It took three of us to get the dog off – me, my husband and a man who came through the hedge after the dog.

“It must have lasted two or three minutes. Eventually the man laid on the dog, put it on a lead and then took it away. He said he had come down from London.

“Alfie had already slipped his lead and run off and now Billy ran off squealing. But we were able to get them back.

“Billy was in shock and bleeding. He just lay in my arms, looking up at me.”

The dog involved in the attack was described as a Bullmastiff-cross type of animal by a witness who helped Mr and Mrs Field take Billy to a vet.

Mrs Field said: “People are up in arms about this. Posters have been put up showing Billy before and after the attack and appealing for witnesses. It could have been a child or me that was attacked. I don’t blame the dog, I blame the owner.”