Puppy survives attack on Worthing seafront
Five-month-old whippet Cyril suffered puncture wounds to its neck, leg and side after it was set-upon by a Staffordshire bull terrier at around 7pm on Monday, February 18.
The injury to the puppy's neck narrowly missed its jugular and the vet that treated him said the dog was lucky to be alive.
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Hide AdHis owner, a 52-year-old Worthing woman, said: "As we walked past this other dog, it just launched at Cyril and clamped onto his neck.
"I was screaming to the owner to get it off but he did nothing.
"I didn't know what to do and in a panic I ran across the road to the Berkeley Hotel and almost got run over.
"The whole thing was terrible, the most frightening thing to ever happen to me."
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Hide AdOnce inside, a hotel guest ran to Cyril's aid and pulled the dog off him and sat on it for 20 minutes until police arrived.
The matter was handed over to the dog warden but a prosecution will be made only if Cyril's owner takes the case to court.
She said: "What if it had been a child this happened to? I don't think the laws are good enough.
"I can't afford to take the case to court.
"Owners of big and dangerous dogs should keep them on leads. I just hope this doesn't happen to somebody else."