Dog Attacks Woman Leaving Her Permanently Disfigured, Kills Her Pet Shih Tzu

A court has heard details of a gruesome dog attack in which a woman was "savagely" mauled and her pet shih tzu fatally injured.

Barbara Griffiths was walking her pet Daisy in the town of Prestwich, northwest England, when a Staffordshire bull terrier emerged from a house and jumped over a fence, the Manchester Evening News reported.

The bull terrier, called Megan, sank its teeth into Daisy's neck and began "shaking it like a toy," Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard, according to the Evening News.

Griffiths tried to pull the bull terrier off her pet but, in the process, the larger dog bit the woman's hand and finger. Daisy could be heard yelping in pain as Megan's jaws were locked around her neck.

Prosecutor Alistair Reid told the court: "It sank its teeth into its neck and was shaking it like a toy. [Griffiths] could hear her dog yelping. She tried to intervene and to shield her dog, but she was bitten on numerous occasions for several minutes."

Eyewitnesses rushed to help, but were not able to keep the dogs apart for long.

"The neighbors tried to intervene and came out to assist, and did separate the dogs, but Megan continued going back to the smaller dog," Reid said.

The attack continued for around five minutes, until the man who was taking care of the dog at the time, Colin Brady, came out of the house. Megan, who was not wearing a collar, belonged to Brady's son.

The court heard that Brady, 60, appeared to be intoxicated as he took the bull terrier away.

After the attack, which took place last November, Daisy had to be put down because of her injuries. Griffiths required treatment at hospital and was left with a permanently disfigured finger, according to Reid.

Brady had been in charge of Megan for three weeks while his son was away on vacation, the court heard.

The bull terrier had previously been violent, jumping over the fence of Brady's property several times to maul other dogs. After the incident involving Griffiths, Megan also attacked a neighbor's dog.

"The neighbor punched and kicked Megan to stop it," Reid told the court, according to the Bury Times. "They had to get a knife to stab the dog. Megan was later taken to the vets and had to be put down."

Brady pleaded guilty to having a dog dangerously out of control and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. The judge also ordered him to go on a nine-month alcohol treatment program and pay £300 ($414) compensation to Griffiths. He was banned from owning dogs for life.

Judge Tina Landale said: "This was a very serious offence of its kind. But what happened on that day was that the dog in your control savagely attacked a beloved pet and her owner.

"Neither passers-by nor you could control it—the dog didn't even have a collar on it and they found it entirely difficult to help."