Attack leaves boxer dog Libby blind in one eye

A DOG has been left blind in one eye and her owner injured after they were viciously attacked by another dog.

Phil Harris was out walking his boxer dog Libby in the recreation ground on Lingfield Road when she was attacked by the "totally out of control" dog.

Mr Harris contacted the Courier and Observer about the attack after reading last week's story on a similar incident.

He said he was out walking his dog on Thursday April 23 at 5.15pm when he was approached by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

He said: "I saw a shortish thin woman possibly 50-years-old come into the park with two dogs, one a tan brown colour on a lead and the other a brown coloured dog off the lead. The second dog which appeared to be a cross-bred Staffordshire bull terrier came running towards my dog.

"When it reached us, without any hesitation, it went for my dog and bit her on her right eye causing the injury. I then shouted at the other dog and using my left hand pulled it off my dog. When it was free, it then bit me on the left hand. I kicked the dog and it retreated.

"I shouted out to the woman that her dog had just bitten us but she kept walking away and shouted back that she couldn't hear me.

"The dog was under no supervision and totally out of control. If it had been a young child with her pet I wonder what would have happened then. A smaller person could have been bitten in the face. I just want this woman to put her dog on a lead and muzzle it," he added.

The 56-year-old said he took the boxer straight to the vet and was told there is too much damage to the eye for her sight to recover and the dog may even loose her whole eye.

The following day he reported the incident at East Grinstead police station but was concerned when he was told to go away and phone the police instead.

A police spokesperson said: "Mr Harris's concerns have been brought to our attention and an investigation will be conducted into the manner he was dealt with by Sussex Police at the earliest opportunity.

"We are aware a witness statement has been taken from the victim and evidential photographs taken. We will also have an officer patrolling the area in an effort to identify the dog and its owner."