A dog was "flung around like a toy" after a brutal mid-morning attack.
Sarah Lewis, from Waterloo, was out walking her two-year-old Bichon Frise, Spud, when the "traumatic" incident occurred. At around 10.30am on Sandy Lane in Seaforth, Sarah said what looked like an XL American Pitbull off lead came running towards them when it suddenly grabbed Spud "by the neck".
Sarah told the ECHO her beloved pet ended up in the road as he was "thrown around like a toy". She said: "I just jumped on the Pitbull, everyone came out on the street to try and help.
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"I thought he had died but he'd passed out, this dog was not letting go, he was latched on. The dog got hold of my hand and arm and ragged me around, I managed to get myself free and a lady in a car told me to get in and rushed us to the vet.
"Spud has staples in his neck, it just missed the main vein, he has puncture wounds in his tummy and cuts. If I didn't get in the way the second time, I would've lost him.
"I've got a chunk missing out of my finger, tissue damage in my thumb and nerve damage in my arm but Spud is doing much better. He's doing amazing, he's been out for his first walk today.
"I'm absolutely traumatised, I keep getting flashbacks. One minute I'm walking Spud and the next minute he's being flung into the road. I just knew I couldn't lose him, it's all I could think about. It wasn't until I was at the walk-in and the vet called and said he'd be okay I cried."
Sarah urges other dog owners to be responsible. She added: "He was so helpless, he couldn't move. People need to be sensible. Not every dog is friendly.
"A dog can attack at any time, it could've been a kid it was right near a play area and the owner wasn't young. People have this status of a big meaty dog but be aware it can kill someone."
Sarah confirmed she had reported the incident to the police and Merseyside Police was approached for comment.
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