Dog maul woman faces more surgery

A kennel worker whose arm was amputated at the elbow after she was mauled by a Rottweiler is having more surgery.

Doctors are operating on Mandy Peynado, 47, in an effort to save the rest of her limb which was savaged by the dog at Knightwood Kennels, near Salisbury.

Her arms were bitten as she tried to protect her throat when the animal turned on her.

Ms Peynado, who had worked at the kennels for three years, was airlifted to Salisbury District Hospital.

She is said to be in a satisfactory condition.

Kennel owner Judith Wykeham had not known the abandoned dog, which was later destroyed by Wiltshire Police, had a troubled history.

To defend her throat, because that's all she was worried about, she put her hands up and that's why she's lost one of her arms Victim's sister

Describing what happened, Ms Peynado's sister, Claire Gourley, said: "She went into the kennels, the dog wanted to play and grabbed hold of her coat.

"She tugged away and he pulled her down and kept on biting and pulling her. He pulled her up and down the pen a few times and just kept biting her.

"To defend her throat, because that's all she was worried about, she put her hands up and that's why she's lost one of her arms."

New Forest District Council, which brought the animal to the kennels six weeks ago, said it had shown no previous signs of aggression and was captured as a stray roaming the streets.

A council spokesman said: "Whenever we have concerns that a dog may be dangerous, we pass the information on as a matter of course.

Attack investigated

"In the case of this dog, it did not show any aggression either at the time it was seized or when it was seen at the kennels by our dog wardens."

Ms Wykeham said the dog would have been treated differently if she had known its background.

"Apparently there was a history with the owner who abandoned the dog and the police are investigating," she said.

"We have heard that she'd been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years, but we didn't know this, we weren't told this."

A spokesman for Salisbury District Council said environmental health officers were investigating events leading up to the attack to determine whether any breach of law took place.

A police spokesman said the Health and Safety Executive was also looking into the attack.