An eyewitness has spoken of the horror moment a dangerous dog mauled a puppy to death before injuring a woman and child.
Armed police shot dead the Bullmastiff-type breed after the pet attacked a boy and a woman and killed a smaller dog.
Officers attended the scene of the terrifying incident in Crewe, Cheshire, on Saturday afternoon (19 February), Manchester Evening News reports.
A woman dubbed her partner, son and neighbours 'heroes' for their brave attempts to distract the animal during the horrific ordeal.
Two people were rushed to hospital, with their injuries said to be non-life threatening.
Authorities stated the dog needed to be 'destroyed' due to the 'immediate risk' it posed to public safety.
Police said they needed to 'destroy' the animal as it posed an 'immediate risk' to public safety.
A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control in a public place, but released on conditional bail as the investigation continues.
Rebecca Jones, 39, lives on the road where the attack happened.
She recalled being sat in her living room with her partner and two children at around 3:10pm, when she heard screams coming from outside.
She told Cheshire Live : "I looked out of the side window and I noticed a lady in the street was in a lot of distress.
"So I run outside of my property, and I see my next door neighbour with her dog, and another dog was attacking her dog.
"It was pinning it down on the floor. She was trying her best to get the dog off the floor.
"My partner went over to try and help the lady, trying to get the big dog away from the little dog.”
"The big dog killed that dog right in front of us all. It was absolutely awful. It was shocking."
The police were called to the scene, but the dog continued its attack.
Rebecca’s partner, Jason, followed the dog up the road and tried to control the animal, alongside other neighbours who had been drawn outside by the commotion.
Her 16-year-old son, Coby, walked onto the street after returning home from a trip to McDonald’s. He joined Jason to see what was going on.
"The next minute, the dog’s got off the little dog, crossed over the road and followed my partner and son," Rebecca said,
"The dog chased them, my partner and son had to get on top of a car to try and distract that dog from hurting other people in the street.
"My partner was telling everyone to get in the house.
"They were absolutely amazing for their bravery."
While Coby and Jason were climbing on top of the car, the dog bit Coby’s left leg.
He was taken to hospital where he needed stitches and antibiotics. The owner of the puppy was also taken to hospital for a bite injury.
Rebecca praised her partner and son’s efforts to distract the dog and make sure everyone was safe inside, calling them "heroes".
Superintendent Myra Ball of Cheshire Police said: "This is a distressing incident and officers did all they could to bring the dog under control. However due to the immediate threat to the public and police, the decision was made to destroy it.
"We know that there were a lot of people in the area that may have taken photographs or video or possibly may have CCTV footage around the time of the incident.
"I would urge anyone who has footage or images to not share them online, but instead please send them in to us as they could be vital in assisting with our investigation."
Anyone who has CCTV, mobile phone images or footage of the incident is asked to contact Cheshire Police by visiting https://www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us or call 101 quoting IML 1205499.
Information can also be passed on to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or report it via https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously
