AN ANIMAL lover looked on in horror as his pet dog was “thrown around like a rag doll” by a vicious terrier during a walk in the park.

Two women with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier encouraged the dog to attack helpless pug Frankie, according to owner Joe Swift.

The 29-year-old of Chester Road, Walthamstow, said he thought his pet was dead after the bull terrier locked its jaws around the smaller dog’s neck in Low Hall football pitches in Walthamstow.

He managed to prise the dogs apart and the bull terrier ran back to his owners, who immediately drove off.

Resilient Frankie is now recovering at home with bite wounds to his body, ear and neck.

But the usually playful pug has become withdrawn and nervous as he recovers from the shock of the attack.

Mr Swift said: “The women were encouraging the dog to fight and winding him up.

“They had their dog on a leash, but then they let him go and it went for my dog.

“He had his jaws around his neck and looked like he was trying to kill him by breaking his neck.

“He had punctured his body and thrown him around like a rag doll. I thought he was dead when I was running up to him.

“Some young men who witnessed it tried to stop them from driving away and one of the women almost ran them over.”

“He is usually friendly and playful and likes to play, but now he is introverted, terrified and jumpy, and needs to be around people constantly.

“What is really worrying is that on my way home from the incident I was speaking to a man who had almost exactly the same experience with his poor dog in May, so it seems they are doing it regularly.”

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