Pet owner speaks of dog attack '˜nightmare'

A local woman has called for action to be taken over dangerous dogs being let off the lead after an horrific attack on her recently rehomed pet Labrador.
Rocky after the attackRocky after the attack
Rocky after the attack

The woman was taking her pet dog ‘Rocky’ out for a walk on a lead near the Magowan Park area of Creggan in Londonderry last Tuesday evening when three Pitbull-type dogs attacked him.

‘Rocky’ sustained horrific wounds to his head and body, and the woman said he would have stood no chance of surviving had she left him during the attack.

‘Rocky’s’ owner said she got the six-years-old dog from the Rainbow Rehoming Centre in November.

Injuries sustained in the attackInjuries sustained in the attack
Injuries sustained in the attack

“His owner died when he was three and then whoever had him, their circumstances changed. Nobody wanted him - he has a wee pin in his leg and requires medication every day, but we are just mad about him, he is part of our family now.”

Describing what happened, she said: “I was walking him down the field on the lead and these dogs just kept coming at him. The three of them were at him at the one time.

"They just mauled him; they wanted to kill him. I was squealing and I thought, ‘I’m not leaving here’. I dropped my phone, didn’t know what to do, but I knew if I left to get help they would kill him. It was a nightmare.”

The woman said the person with the dogs actually had to sit on one of them as she tried to get herself and ‘Rocky’ to safety, but one of the other attack dogs kept following.

Injuries sustained in the attackInjuries sustained in the attack
Injuries sustained in the attack

“Thank God the neighbours had heard me squealing and took us to the vet’s,” she said.

At the vets, ‘Rocky’ was immediately put under general anaesthetic and received numerous stitches to various wounds. He is also now on antibiotics.

“He is lucky to be alive. The cartilage in his ears is damaged, and he has numerous puncture wounds,” his owner said.

Because of the trauma suffered, Rocky will now have to be taken on one-on-one training classes, and is house bound until he heals.

“Something has to be done because I wouldn’t want anyone else to experience that. My dog hadn’t a chance," she added.

“If this had been any child in the street, any cat, any wee dog, they would have been killed.”