Woman 'absolutely broken' after vicious dog attack in Thatto Heath park

The attack happened at around 1pm on Saturday, May 21 as Donna Linnett was walking Jamie, a 12-year-old Greyhound, through the park.

Described as the "gentlest dog ever", Jamie always wears a brightly coloured vest to inform other owners that he is nervous around other dogs.

As Donna walked near to the exit by Elm Road, a large, suspected pit bull came running towards him and got a hold of him "by the throat".

The dog is said to have dragged Jamie onto the main road and "would not let go", causing a desperate Donna to fall to the ground as she tried to separate them.

Jamie is described as being the "gentlest dog ever"

Realising the seriousness of the situation, passers-by and motorists also rushed to help and try to save Jamie from the attack.

In "what felt like forever", the dog's owner's were eventually able to separate them but it is said to have bitten one of its owners and chased Jamie out of the park and towards Crossley Road. 

It was only for the efforts of two young men who ran after the dogs that Jamie's life was saved, as they separated them for long enough for its owner, a man in his 60s, to take it home.

Speaking to the Star, Donna's daughter Clare said: "My mum is traumatised, the dog is her everything and she's absolutely broken.

"Jamie is so nervous around other dogs anyway and everyone was just screaming because they couldn't get the other dog off him.

"My mum is waiting on two knee replacements so she couldn't run after them when they ran off again, and she could hear him screaming in the distance."

Jamie has suffered three major puncture wounds, a fractured jaw and broken teeth from the attack

After the ordeal, Jamie was taken straight to the vets where he is still being treated for three major puncture wounds, a fractured jaw, and broken teeth.

The suspected pit bull has been seized by police and will be subject to an examination to determine whether it is an illegal breed.

Commending the people that came to help Jamie and her mum, Clare added: "We are so thankful to the people that got out of their cars and came to help and managed to get them off each other.

"The amount of people that have been round to the house to give her flowers and see how she is has been amazing and we truly appreciate it."

Community Policing Inspector Stacey Pope said: “This incident would have been traumatic for both the owner who sustained serious injuries to her fingers, and the owner of the greyhound who was left very distressed.

“Thankfully the suspected pit bull was caught a short time later before it could cause further harm to anyone else, and has now been seized.

“Merseyside Police takes such incidents seriously and will take any necessary action to keep our communities safe. We have a dedicated Sergeant who reviews all cases concerning dogs.

“Pit bull type dogs are a banned breed and classed as a dangerous dog. They are not designed to be family pets and pose a danger to the public.

“Anyone walking their dog in a public place should be aware of their dog’s behaviour and keep it on a lead if it is liable to be aggressive towards other park users – regardless of their breed.”

Anyone who witnessed this incident or with any information is asked to contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 22000349719.