A WOMAN claims a dog walker smirked as his bull terrier savagely attacked her rescue greyhound as they walked in the park.

Rachel Targett of Ridley Road, Winton, was walking on Winton Rec with five-year-old Toya when the bull terrier attacked.

The man called off his dog but stood there smirking as Toya's shoulder poured with blood, said Rachel.

Finally fellow dog walker Dawn Griffiths, came to her aid and alerted husband Roger who drove them to Companion Care veterinary surgery in Winton.

Toya underwent an emergency operation and received between ten and 12 stitches for a four-inch-long wound.

Later Toya went into shock and received emergency treatment from the out-of-hours veterinary service leaving her with a total bill of almost £500, said Rachel.

Although police were called, the man and his dog had gone by the time they arrived, said Rachel.

She said: "I was walking the dog and I saw a young chap with his dog. It was off the lead, saw Toya and automatically ran over to her and attacked her.

"He was smirking as though he thought it was funny. I was hysterical. Tara is really sweet and gentle. She never goes for other dogs."

Rachel asked a nearby group of teenagers if they had a mobile phone she could use but they also laughed at her, she said.

"Blood was pouring out of her chest and shoulder. I think Toya would have died if Dawn and David hadn't helped me. I am very grateful to them.

"What if it had been an old dog or a child?" she added.

Roger Griffiths, 48, said: "I could hear this dog screaming. When I saw how much blood there was I thought it was going to die. The back seat of the car is covered with blood."

Katy Geary, RSPCA spokesperson, said: "If a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place there are means for prosecution. Dog owners do have a responsibility to make sure their dogs are under control.

"There is a small minority who see a dog as an extension of their image and we are seeing a lot of cases where, instead of carrying knives, people have a dog as a weapon."

People with information can contact the RSPCA Cruelty hotline on 0300 1234 999.