Pet dog fatally injured in attack

Jake suffered liver trauma from being shaken

A puppy was so severely injured when a bullmastiff leapt from a garden and mauled it, it had to be put down.

Claire Ford was walking her Jack Russell puppy Jake down the road in Plymouth, Devon, when the other dog attacked.

It took three men to wrestle the bullmastiff free of Jake after Mrs Ford failed to prise open its jaws.

Police are considering prosecuting the owner of the bullmastiff which could be destroyed if a judge directs.

The attack happened last week as Mrs Ford and her 12-year-old daughter Stephanie were out walking with the seven-month-old puppy in the Mutley area of the city.

I screamed: 'Help me! Help me! Claire Ford

Mrs Ford, 36, said: "The thing didn't go for me, it went for my dog but I grabbed hold of it and tried to prise open its mouth.

"I screamed: 'Help me! Help me!'

"A couple of cars stopped and the next thing I knew three blokes were on top of the dog."

Jake was put down the next day because of liver trauma from being shaken around.

Police said the bullmastiff was initially impounded but is now back with its owner as it is not one of the four breeds of "dangerous dog" prohibited in the UK.

The incident has been reported to the Crown Prosecution Service which will decide whether to bring charges against the animal's owner.