By Alesha Capone
AN elderly man was left terrified when his pet dog was attacked and severely injured by another dog in Deer Park.
Alex Sayls, 84, risked his own life to defend Chad, his Pomeranian-Chihuahua cross, during the recent attack.
Mr Sayls said he was walking Chad along Station Rd about 8am, when an unleashed dog resembling a pit-bull charged towards them.
“He just grabbed Chad,” said Mr Sayls.
“It just picked Chad up in his mouth and began to maul and shake him. Chad was screaming and everything, I thought he was dead.
“I kicked him, I don’t know how many times, it was a bit of struggle as he wasn’t going to let him go.”
After the vicious attack, Mr Sayls picked Chad up and carried him to his neighbour Barry Plunkett’s house.
They rushed Chad to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne, where he underwent surgery and remained there for two days.
“The dog is his little boy,” Mr Plunkett said.
“Alex was very upset, he reckons he nearly had a heart attack when it happened.”
Mr Plunkett rang Brimbank City Council rangers and police to report the attack, but was unsure if the other dog was caught or not.
Star asked the council if a dog matching the description of the one which attacked Mr Sayls’ pet had been caught.
General manager of city development Stephen Sully said council officers had not collected any dogs of that description and were not aware of any dog attacks on 16 March.
The attack on Chad brings to 16 the number of dog attacks in Brimbank recorded by council this year.
Mr Sayls alleged a teenage boy was walking behind the dog that attacked Chad.
“The boy said the dog was not his,” Mr Sayls said.
“He said, ‘come one, come on’ to the dog while he attacked Chad, but the dog paid no attention.”
Mr Sayls said the boy was then picked up in a car driven by a female, who also said the dog was not theirs.
“I’m warning everybody to be careful, people shouldn’t be allowed to take a big dog out without a lead, Chad is always on a leash.
“He still has very bad bruising. He’s the best friend I’ve had and I was terrified by what happened. Chad would never bite anyone. He’s a nice little dog,” Mr Sayls said.
