An ex-military neighbour has shared how he saved his neighbour's life by throwing a chicken from the fridge at a 15-stone "hell hound" who was mauling her.
Gary Goodhall, 43, sprang into action when the American bulldog launched its attack on a woman in a house in Swindon, Wiltshire on Good Friday.
At first, he thought someone was being mugged but learned the massive dog was wreaking havoc inside the house.
He grabbed a first aid kit and kicked in the front door and started searching for the woman.
Gary says he saw the beast attacking its victim in the back garden and realised he could not safely tackle it.
Quick-thinking Gary grabbed a chicken from the fridge and threw it to the other end of the garden to distract the dog.
Gary said: "I was not expecting to run into a bloodbath but it was a surreal life-or-death situation and I could not have lived with myself if I'd done nothing.
"It was scary but the adrenaline kicked in, I went into tunnel vision and had to get in there. Oddly enough, I'd done a trauma first aid course the week before."
The dog let go and began devouring the piece of poultry while Gary helped the woman reach the back door of the house.
He added: "It was horrendous, the dog looked like it was possessed, blood was squirting out of the lady's legs, and it started attacking her again.
"There was a huge gash on her back, lacerations on her thighs and so many puncture wounds it looked like a shotgun blast.
"I managed to get the dog's head into the cage then shoved the rest in as hard as I could. It was so angry, I worried it would break out."
Gary screamed out for help so two of the people waiting outside went in to assist him while he provided first aid, bandaging and reassuring the victim as she went into severe shock.
The police arrived 15 minutes later and the paramedics followed shortly afterwards.
The woman in her 30s is being treated in hospital for leg wounds that are not thought to be life-threatening.
An 11-year-old at the property suffered a minor injury but they did not require medical attention.
Police say the dog is currently in kennels and no arrests have been made in connection with the attack.
Gary said: "I'm not a hero, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, with the right mindset to do something about it.
"I usually keep myself to myself, I think she had an angel on her shoulder that day. It was the worst day of my life - and even worse for her."
A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said in a statement: "We were called to an address on Penhill Drive, Swindon, shortly after 4pm on Friday (15/4) following reports of a dog attack at a residential property.
"A woman in her 30s suffered leg injuries and was been taken to the Great Western Hospital. Her injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing.
"An 11-year-old at the property suffered a minor injury which required no medical attention.
"The dog was removed from the property and taken to kennels.
"No arrests have been made in connection with this incident at this time."
