Dog lover’s call for ‘responsible’ ownership after savage attack
A DOG lover says she has been left a “prisoner” in her home after being savaged by a Staffordshire bull terrier as she tried to protect her own pet.
Tina Pointon, 42, suffered horrific injuries to her arm when she was mauled as she walked her dog, Patch, in Beeston, Leeds.
The mother-of-three says she is still suffering from the trauma of what happened and is calling on other dog owners to take responsibility for their animals.
“I haven’t been out of the house,” she said. “I can’t walk the streets of Beeston. There are so many Staffies around and I know they’re not all bad, but at the moment I don’t know which ones are good. I feel like a prisoner in my home.
“People need to be more re- sponsible – know where their dog has come from, know its history and take the necessary precautions.”
Mrs Pointon was walking 14-year-old Patch near her home on August 7 when the dog left a garden and charged at them.
“Something told me to pick up my dog,” she said. “When I turned around I saw the dog running towards me. She took one jump and grabbed hold of my left arm.”
The dog’s bite tore through Mrs Pointon’s tricep and left her with a chunk of her upper arm missing. It only released its grip after the owner threw a bucket of water over it.
Mrs Pointon had to have plastic surgery to repair her arm but said: “I do not regret saving my dog’s life, and if ever put in the same situation, I’d do exactly the same thing.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “A dog has now been seized and officers are progressing enquires.”