Dog savaged by bull terrier

Bert Cornwell had been out walking Casper, his Bichon Frise, and Jack, a German Shepherd, last Wednesday when he felt a tug on one of leads and turned to see Casper being pulled from his collar.

"The bull terrier appeared from nowhere and ripped the little dog to shreds. It could easily have been a child or a pensioner," said Mr Cornwell.

"It had no muzzle, no lead, it was just going beserk."

The bull terrier had Casper in its mouth until Mr Cornwell kicked it and eventually it ran away. "By this time I was covered in blood and so was the dog."

Casper is now suffering scars on his leg, neck, face and stomach and had to be kept at the vets for two days after the incident. Mr Cornwell faces vets bills totalling £216.

Bichon Frise dogs are renowned for their playful and affectionate personalities and Mr Cornwell said he had been extremely upset by the incident.

The animal has been walking the same route on Greatwood since February. He has retraced his steps since the attack and has not seen the dog again.

He described it as a brindled and black bull terrier but did not remember whether it had a collar on or not.

Mr Cornwell said he reported the incident to the police to warn them that the dog was on the loose and he thought it was a danger to other animals and children.

Skipton Sergeant David Cochrane said he urged dog owners to be aware of where their dogs were. "There are offences of allowing dogs to be unrestrained. What might be high spirits could put the fear of God into the young or elderly."

He added that the incident report had been passed on to the community officer for the area who would keep an eye out for the dog and try to trace the owner.

Craven dog warden Katrina Bullas has also been involved in the incident.

She said she sympathised with Mr Cornwell and was still trying to trace the bull terrier's owner. "This is what happens when dogs are allowed to stray."