A pensioner left traumatised by a dog attack today gave her support to our Curb the Danger Dogs Campaign.

Amanda Csik spent six days in hospital after a retriever charged at her "like a rampant bull" and left her with injuries to her face, arms, a broken wrist and nerve damage.

Mrs Csik, 68, of Park Way, Baildon, had to make frequent visits to Bradford Royal Infirmary for the next ten months for treatment to her injuries.

She said: "I was tossed in the air like a rag doll."

The mother-of-two, who used to work as a warper at Salt's Mill, Saltaire, said she was still affected by the incident two years ago.

She said: "I was severely injured and am still traumatised by what happened.

"This dog has absolutely ruined my life.

"I still suffer from all the injuries and am at my wits' end because nothing has been done about it."

Mrs Csik said she had been a dog lover before the incident and had owned Airedale terriers as pets for 27 years.

She said: "After the trauma of the incident I am still suffering and I am scared of dogs. I tremble if they come near me.

"This dog was dangerously out of control but the owners got away with it.

"I think people who have got a dangerous dog that has got out of control should be prosecuted and made to be held accountable even if it has not bitten someone. Justice should be seen to be done."

The Telegraph & Argus is calling for the following changes to Dangerous Dogs Act, which was brought in 15 years ago after six-year-old Rukhsana Khan suffered appalling injuries in a dog attack near her Bradford home.

The T&A wants to persuade the Government that: l compulsory registration for all dogs should be introduced, rather than the current system which limits it to certain breeds l all dogs should be microchipped to allow ownership to be traced l mandatory life bans from dog ownership should be introduced for anyone convicted of having a dangerous dog.

l a record of control orders should be kept on every dog's registration and a specific offence of allowing a dog to stray be added to the Act with fixed penalty fines for owners to prevent dogs being out of control at any time.

Bradford Council has already pledged its support to the campaign by unanimously backing a motion to the Government to strengthen the Act.

MPs in the district have also backed the campaign by signing our petition, which will be presented to Home Secretary John Reid, calling for the changes to the Act.

l Meanwhile, police have renewed their appeal for information about a dog attack in Bradford.

Adam Hussain, 17, of Thornbury, was attacked by two Rhodesian ridgebacks when the man who was walking them ordered the dogs to attack.

Adam badly injured his hand when he climbed a wall and caught it on a metal spike near the Netto store in Thornbury in an attempt to escape from the dogs.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "A police investigation is under way and we would urge members of the public who have any information to come forward."

The attack happened on Friday, September 8, at 3pm. Anyone with information should contact police on (01274) 376059.

e-mail: saima.mir@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

HOW YOU CAN SIGN OUR PETITION

You can back our Curb the Danger Dogs Campaign by signing our petition, which will be submitted to the Home Secretary, John Reid.

We want to collect as many signatures as possible in the next month to show Mr Reid the strength of feeling in the district about the inadequacies of the Dangerous Dogs Act and to put pressure on him to better protect the public against dog attacks by acting on the changes to the law we have outlined on the petition.

You can support our campaign simply by adding your own name on the petition online at our publication's website www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. Or you can print out the petition and ask family, friends and colleagues to sign as well. The more signatures we receive, the stronger our message.

But whatever you can do will add weight to our campaign and help to make it clear to Mr Reid the strength of public feeling regarding the desperate need to change the current law.

Remember, you need to return copies of the petition to the T&A (the address is at the foot of the form) by Thursday, October 12.

We will then submit all the forms we receive to the Home Office.

Click here to sign the petition on-line

Or click here to download a copy of the petition to print out