WANSTEAD: Dog walker and pet mauled by bull mastiff

4:56pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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POLICE are searching for two people after a dog walker and her pet terrier were savagely attacked by a vicious bull mastiff.

Gwen Marsh was left black and blue and covered in teeth marks, while her dog Polly remains at the vets in a fragile condition having narrowing escaped death during the incident in Wanstead Park on Sunday, May 4.

Miss Marsh was badly bitten trying to stop the 120lb dog that had locked it's jaws around her Yorkshire Terrier's tiny body during their regular afternoon stroll at around 3pm.

She said: "It was the most horribly awful and frightening moment of my life.

"I saw a young man and a huge dog without a lead coming towards us so I tried to change paths.

"But even before I could pick Polly up the dog knocked me over and there was nothing I could do.

"All I could see of Polly was her head and her tail and there was blood everywhere."

The school administration assistant from Wanstead came face to face with the animal shortly after speaking to a woman who was looking for the apparently friendly, honey coloured bull-dog.

The woman ran over after the attack but the couple hurriedly vacated the park, heading up Warren Road, after Miss Marsh received a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse from the man, who blamed her for the incident.

Miss Marsh who had to to be treated for injuries at Whipps Cross Hospital said: "The couple showed absolutely no remorse and the way they dealt with it was as bad as the ferocity of the dog."

Park ranger Gordon Mekinay said incidents like this have happened before in Redbridge parks and that dog control orders should be brought in to keep pets on leads in public places.

He added: "Everyone thinks their dog is safe but you never know when it will become a savage animal.

"Children play in these areas and no one should be bringing a dog they can't control into a park."

Miss Marsh describes the couple as slim and in their late twenties.

The woman had shoulder-length blonde hair, wore a white cardigan and was slightly taller than the man at about 5 ft 9 inches.

The man had thick, curly black hair and was wearing a blue and white sports top.