Dog attack victim 'thought she was going to die'

A woman said she was left in "excrutiating pain" after being bitten 17 times by a pitbull-type dog that attacked several people in a village.

Rosie, 40, was bitten at about midday on 3 July after stopping her car to help a woman near a petrol station on Lancaster Road in Cockerham, Lancashire.

She said the woman's dog attacked her, and she "genuinely thought [she] was going to die".

Lancashire Police said it had received numerous reports of a dog attacking people, but no arrests had been made and no animal has been seized.

Rosie, who runs a dog day care service in Catterall, said: "The pain is excruciating. I can't sit, I can't stand properly. I can't drive.

"It's more the psychological side of it. I can't sleep, I've got terrible flashbacks. I'm absolutely terrified. Every time I shut my eyes I'm reliving it.

"It was one of the most horrific things I've ever experienced, because I genuinely thought I was going to die."

Rosie said she had approached a woman in a car who looked to be struggling with a dog, but the dog turned and lunged for her, and bit her on her left hand.

"It just went from bad to worse after that," she said.

As Rosie turned to run away, the dog, which had no collar or lead, got hold of the backs of her legs, resulting in puncture wounds to her legs, shins, ankles, torso, and knees.

"I smashed my head on the road because the dog dragged me down to the floor and I've got extensive bruising everywhere. It's pretty horrific," said Rosie.

A passing lorry driver stopped to save the screaming victim, hitting the dog, which was on top of Rosie, with a makeshift weapon.

"That lorry driver saved my life without question," she said.

A young man and a woman were attacked earlier in the day.

Melanie Moore, from Pilling, saw the white and brown dog loose on Lancaster Road.

The 49-year-old said she suffered five deep muscle wounds from the bites, on her legs, ribcage and arm, before running into the petrol station for safety.

"I am literally black, blue, and purple. It's been bad," the office manager said.

"I have flashbacks, especially when I go to sleep. I just keep seeing its horrible face coming at me again. It's awful."

Melanie says the dog should be "seized and destroyed" to stop it from attacking others.

"You're supposed to be protected in this country. You can't just leave it to be a dog that's free to do it again. It's shocking."

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