Devastated by dog attack
Family pet is put to sleep after fight
A FAMILY has been left devastated after their dog was put to sleep following an attack on New Year’s Day.
Sharon Rees, 54, and her family had to make the difficult decision to put their seven-year-old Yorkshire terrier, George, to sleep after he was attacked on a dog walk.
Her husband, Wayne, had been walking George with their other dog, Lily, near their Llanelli home when a dog “locked its jaws” around the Yorkshire terrier’s neck.
Mrs Rees said: “They hadn’t long gone for a walk and then my husband came back in through the back door holding George.
“My husband had let our other dog off [the lead] but George was friendly and wouldn’t come back so he was always kept on the lead so he was on the lead when it happened.”
Mrs Rees said another dog approached George, ignoring Lily, before “locking its jaws” on the Yorkshire terrier.
“My husband was trying to kick the dog in the face to get him off, but it was having no impact – he just couldn’t get him off.
“The owner was calling it and then grabbed the dog but it was too late.”
Mr Rees ran back home with their two dogs and the family rang the vet before being directed to the PDSA in Llansamlet.
“We were seen straightaway and they took George to assess his wounds and they said that they were more like rips and tears than punctures,” Mrs Rees said.
“The dog had George by the front of his chest and the back of his shoulder, so it probably penetrated into his breathing space.
“They took him away to wash his wounds but he couldn’t tolerate it even with pain relief and his treatment would cost thousands so we made the decision to put him down.”
The family want to prevent a similar incident happening again.
Mrs Rees added: “It’s just an awful start to the new year. We’ve got two teenagers and we bought George for them when they were younger.
“He’s part of the family. If they die of old age then that’s fine, but not like this. It’s not fair. It’s just so shocking and we’re all so devastated.”
District vet Toby Birch, of the Vets Now pet emergency service in Swansea, treated George when he was taken to the PDSA’s Swansea branch and said that the dog was in “severe pain” when he arrived.
He said: “Cases involving dog-on-dog attacks are deeply disturbing for everyone involved, particularly when one of the dogs is considerably smaller than the other.
“George was in severe pain when he arrived at our pet emergency clinic and was quickly given pain relief.
“While it’s impossible to assess the full extent of any dog bite wound without further exploration, it was clear from our investigations that the wounds George had suffered had penetrated deep into his muscles.
“We discussed the options for George with his owners and they made the difficult decision to put him to sleep to avoid further suffering. Putting a dog to sleep is always a last resort and because of the pain George was in he was sedated to minimise suffering. We offer our deepest condolences to George’s family.”
Mr Birch added: “Unfortunately, dog-on-dog attacks occur more often than people might think and they can cause serious injuries. Owners are responsible for keeping their dogs under control and ensuring they’re properly socialised and trained.
“Those worried or wary should consider keeping their dog on a lead to minimise the risk of them being attacked or, indeed, attacking another animal.”
Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed inquiries into the incident are being carried out.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “Dyfed-Powys Police received a report of a dog-on-dog attack in the Penallt area of Llanelli during the afternoon of January 1.
“A black Staffordshire terrier-type dog is reported to have attacked a Yorkshire terrier, which was being walked by its owner on the footpath between Coedcae Road and Penallt Road.
“Inquiries are being carried out to establish the circumstances of the incident.”