An upset Prestonian took to a community group to notify people to be vigilant after her beloved dog was attacked whilst out walking with her partner.

The incident took place on Wednesday, 21 July, at around 10pm. It had been a very hot day, and Tania Lou’s partner Chris had waited for it to become cooler.

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Chris took him to Highgate Woods on Garstang Road.

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Roman was on lead as his recall is not good, but suddenly a dog came out of nowhere and attacked him, tearing off Roman’s inner ear.

The owner of the dog which attacked Roman had no control over it, and it also bit Chris. Chris then had to intervene to save Roman’s life and the attacking dog bit again.

Chris was able to flee the scene with Roman and their other dog and subsequently attended A&E for his injuries.

Roman needed surgery on his ear and was put under anaesthetic.

Thankfully, the surgery was a success and he was given pain killers and antibiotics to help his recovery.

A police spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of a dog attack at Highgate woods, Fulwood. It was reported that a pit bull-type dog had attacked another dog, which was being walked in the area.

“The owner of the second dog also suffered bites to his arms and one foot. The dog warden at the council has been made aware and our enquiries are ongoing.”

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Tania told Blog Preston: “We have reported the incident and our dog needed surgery and is very lucky to be alive! We are very concerned as this could’ve been a child or a small dog and the outcome would’ve been devastating. Please be vigilant when walking your dog.

“We can’t stress enough that we don’t want to blame the dog, but the way it has been raised.”

Tania and Chris are currently liaising with the police and the council regarding the incident.

An RSPCA spokesperson told Blog Preston: “This sounds like a very distressing incident and must be terribly upsetting for the owners of the injured dog.

“Owners have a responsibility to ensure their dogs are under proper control at all times.

“It’s therefore vital owners understand the circumstances likely to lead to their dog being aggressive and also the signs of potential aggressive behaviour in their dogs so that they can take steps to prevent incidents from occurring. Keeping dogs on a lead in appropriate places can also reduce the risk of incidents.

“We urge anyone with concerns about their dog’s behaviour to seek advice from their vet who may refer them to an appropriately qualified clinical animal behaviourist.

“If your dog is attacked by another dog, we advise you to report this to the police.”

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They are also in the process of contacting a solicitor to get the money back for vets fees, but this will only be successful if the dog is insured, and it can take months.

A Preston City Council spokesperson said: “An incident in Highgate Woods was reported to us on 24 July, however we’re unable to confirm at this time if it relates to the same incident.

“As there was an alleged injury to a person by a dog it is now in the hands of the Police as the lead authority in cases involving any injury to a person that is caused by dogs.”

If you would like to donate to Roman’s vet fees fund, you can do so here.

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